Slaying Dragons
by Phoebsfan
Summary: M/L A/A AU Max Guevara knew that Manticore wasn't behind her yet, but she never planned they'd attack so close to home and now she's determined to end what they started. Last two chapters added. COMPLETE
1. Eyes Only

Slaying Dragons  
Disclaimer: Nope I don't own any of these characters, cept maybe a private or so here and there along the way. I might own a med tech...who by the way is currently working furiously to cure the demonic virus...Maybe I'll own a stranger on the street...You know...But as for Max, Logan, Alec, Tinga, Zack, and the bunch...I can only dream...  
Summery: Ah the conclusion to the triolgy started with The World Outside The Walls. Max Guevara knew that Manticore wasn't behind her yet, but she never planned they'd attack so close to home and now she's determined to end what they started.  
Rating: R for safety reasons  
AN: Ok guys...if you haven't go read THE WORLD OUTSIDE THE WALLS, and ...ALL THE KINGS HORSES, AND ALL THE KINGS MEN... otherwise I'm afraid you may just be lost. Oh yes and leave me a review. For all of those who have been faithful readers, first of all I love you guys, and secondly I promise not to be so angsty in this piece and that you should be happy by the end of it. And so here is the beginning to the conclusion you've all waited so patiently for...  
  
  
Chapter 1  
Eyes Only  
  
  
Logan opened his eyes and realised two very important things.   
  
He was not at home in his bed.   
  
He was in fact in a very dark room, furnished with only a cot, which he was currently resting on.  
  
Upon realising these things however, he also realised something else. He had no way to move from the bed to the door. No way to get around after that, even if he pulled himself to the door.   
  
At least Max had gotten out before they'd come for him.   
  
Logan briefly let himself dwell on what could have been had he called Bling instead of writing a note that Max was never supposed to see, but he knew it wouldn't have made any difference.   
  
A ray of light streamed through the small window in the door and fell on the floor beside the cot. It was the only light he had. He wondered if Max had been held in a similar room, and if so how long had they made her wait, alone.  
  
He tried vailently to banish thoughts of Max and what she had gone through at the hands of these merciless cowards, not because he knew that they would probably love to do the same to him, but because it hurt him more then anything they could try.  
  
But then again maybe that was there plan.   
  
Leave him locked up here alone without even the freedom to move from the stupid cot he was on, and maybe he'd crack and tell them what they wanted to know.  
  
Sadly enough, they wouldn't even need to lock him in here. It wasn't like he was going anywhere any time soon.  
  
Sighing, he pulled himself up and rested his back against the grubby wall, intent on waiting however long they took.  
  
The door pushed open, grating against the floor. He hadn't heard a lock being unlocked, talk about your slap in the face.  
  
A petite woman with blond, almost white, hair walked in smiling in a manner in which could only be described as evil.  
  
"I see you're awake Eyes Only, or would you prefer Mr. Cale." Renfro asked with false sugar.  
  
Logan smirked.  
  
"Which ever is easier." he managed to bite out.   
  
"There is no need to be like that Mr. Cale. I'm here to offer you a business proposition." she continued. Logan couldn't hide his laugh of disbelief.  
  
"You could have called."  
  
"Yes well, I have it on good authority you wouldn't have listened."  
  
"What makes you think I will now. I don't take kindly to people who drag me out of my home and lock me in a room." he answered sarcastically.  
  
"The door wasn't locked." she offered, knowing that her insinuation would only make him more angry.  
  
Logan simply glared.   
  
Smiling in return she walked to the door.  
  
"It's obvious you need some time alone to think." she offered and then left, leaving the door open to taunt him.  
  
Logan was beginning to see why Max hated it here so much. 


	2. Taking Control

Chapter 2  
Taking Control  
  
...Harsh world be damned. We'll make a stand. Love can bind. But mine is blind. Others stray but I won't walk away. Walk away. ~I won't walk away~Jewel  
  
  
  
Max woke up on Logan's bed, book of poems and note to one side, his scent overwhelming her. Closing her eyes she rolled onto her back. Maybe if she didn't open them she could pretend he was here with her, maybe it would all be an awful dream.  
  
Still her hand searched for him next to her only to come up empty, reminding her that this was real. Sighing she opened her eyes and groaned as she rolled over to face the empty bed next to her.  
  
"Logan what am I going to do? I can't do this alone." she whispered pulling a pillow to her chest and curling up into a small ball.   
  
Slowly Max let her hand travel back to the book and note. Tenderly brushing her fingers over the book her hand reached the note. Closing her eyes again she let her hand rest on the note while it's contents ran through her mind again.  
  
"How did this happen?" Max muttered under her breath. Finding that her eyes were starting to water again, Max abruptly pushed the herself up and grasped the note tightly in her hand crumpling it slightly.   
  
No. She would not let her emotions get the better of her.   
  
Shoving the note into her pocket roughly she started out of the room with a renewed resolve.   
  
Manticore could go to hell, it would not get away with this.  
  
Storming out of the room and into Logan's kitchen she found Bling, Alec, Original Cindy, and some girl that she didn't know.  
  
"Who are you?" Max demanded roughly.  
  
"Asha. I came by with some information for Logan." the woman answered carefully.  
  
"Boo maybe you should go and lie down some more." Original Cindy offered to Max's attitude.  
  
"I'm fine. Logan needs us." She answered briskly. Original Cindy had sense enough to back off. Alec on the other hand decided to test the limits.  
  
"Gee Max, last time I checked it took a lot more then just us to break into Manticore." he shot out. Max shot him a look meant to shut him up. She didn't know if she could trust this Asha character.  
  
"It's ok. I know." Asha answered.  
  
Max spun around to face Asha with an accusing look.  
  
"When Logan was shot I did some work for him, hunting down this Manticore place." Asha answered in explaination.  
  
Her explaination only served to make Max nervous.  
  
Alec shot Asha a look that Max couldn't quite deceipher before he added his two cents again.  
  
"Don't mean to ruin this streak of yours Max but do you have any kind of plan?" he asked rudely.  
  
"As a matter of fact I do." Max smiled.  
  
  
  
  
"This is a streaming freedom video bulletin. The cable hack will last exactly 60 seconds. It cannot be traced, it cannot be stopped and it is the only free voice left in the city..."   
  
"What the hell?" Lydecker spit out. Renfro ended up spitting her coffee all over the place.   
  
Lydecker pondered briefly as to if it was worth it just to see the queen bitch in a position of no control.  
  
"...To those known as the x series...your help is needed..."  
  
"Looks like 452 has been busy." Lydecker commented causually.   
  
Apparently Renfro had not expected this little side effect.  
  
  
  
  
  
"...a friend has fallen prey..."  
  
Damn.  
  
He knew he should have left her alone.   
  
And now Max had broadcast their exsistance to half the world. Zack swore under his breath as he slowly backed out of the building and headed toward his bike.  
  
It was time he come home apparently.  
  
Max needed a babysitter.  
  
  
  
  
"Do you think it will work?" Asha asked as Max finished the broadcast.  
  
Alec chuckled and Max smiled. It would certainly send big brother Zack running and that was all they really needed right now. They could get the others out of him in time.  
  
Max only hoped that Zack wouldn't wait too long to tell them.  
  
  
  
  
So what do you guys think so far. I would love to hear your opinions as always. I'm kind of hitting a wall right now. I know where this should all end up it is just the getting there that is the problem. 


	3. The Price of a Miracle

Chapter 3  
The Price of a Miracle  
  
an: it was way hard to write this. Every sentance somehow turned into a sarcastic comment. Turning this piece into an amazingly dorky piece of humor. Maybe I'll post the original version under a different name after I play with it a little bit....(Do you think they have handicapped stalls at Manticore?) Oh man...I've got to stop. Now this is a serious chapter. So get in a serious mood. NOW! And leave me a review. I love those things. Oh yeah and go read anything by katerpillar...it will make me happy.  
  
  
Logan soon learned that after two hours in an empty cell, boredom becomes a thing of the past.  
  
Yet he was in no hurry for that blonde bitch to return.  
  
He'd spent the first twenty minutes after she left counting and recounting the spots on the floor, trying not to acknowledge the fact that most of those spots were composed of blood. He'd then quickly moved on to picking at the poor excuse for a mattress he was sitting on while at the same time trying to identify some of the smells that assaulted him.  
  
Logan came to the conclusion that he used him mind too much as his thoughts started to turn to Max.  
  
He wondered if she was in Canada yet, safe. He'd told her to call him when she got there. Which meant she'd be concerned when he didn't answer. Maybe he'd be lucky and she'd stay in Canada anyway. But for being so emotionally detached she always seemed to let emotions rule her.  
  
He'd spent the remainder of those two hours re-living every last moment he'd spent with her. He'd like to say that when he got out of this, if he got out of this, that he'd change things but he knew that it was more likely he wouldn't.  
  
Sighing, Logan closed his eyes trying to block out her memory, but only found her eyes staring at him. Those increadably amazing eyes.   
  
Groaning, he tried to shift his attention to something else. No luck there either.  
  
Just when he thought her memory might just drive him insane, he heard someone coming.  
  
"Mr. Cale. I believe we got off on the wrong foot. I'm willing to make you an increadable offer. One I think you'll be very interested in hearing about." Renfro started as she entered his cell pushing a wheelchair.  
  
Logan was instantly suspicious but decided to play along anyway.  
  
"I'm interested." he threw out casually. Renfro nodded.  
  
"I'm willing to give you the use of your legs." she smiled.  
  
"You gonna make me fly too?" he questioned. If what she said was true, well the possiblity was astounding, so astounding that part of him hoped she was lying. If she wasn't, what would this cost him?  
  
Chuckling she answered.  
  
"We aren't gods Mr. Cale."  
  
Well that was definately correct. He'd done enough research to know that they were a far cry from gods, more like monsters.  
  
"What do you want from me?" he asked cautiously.  
  
"Any information you've obtained on the Manticore project. Your promise that you will not broadcast any information on Manticore." she answered.  
  
No, it was too easy. What would keep her from killing him as soon as she had the information she wanted.  
  
Logan looked at her, eyes full of disbelief.  
  
"Well. I suppose you don't have much choice in this really. 452 made and interesting broadcast this morning. You two must have gotten pretty close. Hate for something to happen to her now wouldn't you. Just the other day orders came down to exterminate the remaining X5's and since 452 insists on making trouble, well I'm going to be forced to take action against her. Unless someone could convince her otherwise. If you give us what we want Mr. Cale, no one will be hurt. You'll be up and walking again. Now I really don't see a down side to this."  
  
Logan tried to swallow back the sick feeling she left him with. He knew she wasn't lying about Max. And even if he had no intention of taking her up on her offer before, she was right. He couldn't let Max get hurt.  
  
Wait a minute. He had no intention of taking her up on her offer to help him walk again. When had that happened? Walking again was the most important thing, wasn't it?   
  
"Well I can see you need some more time." she smiled once more then left, again leaving the door open.  
  
Logan wasted no time pulling himself across the room to the wheelchair she'd left. He wasted no time in leaving the room to find a way out of his prision. He really didn't believe he'd make it out, but it couldn't hurt to try. He was proud to say that he made it all the way outside before they caught him.   
  
He couldn't help but grin as they helped him back to his cell.  
  
This time they locked the door.  
  
Never in his life had he been so happy about a locked door.   
  
  
  
  
"How close are we?" Renfro greedily asked a lab tech.  
  
"We are ready for our first human test subject." he answered trying to hide his excitement.  
  
"Excellent." Renfro smiled.   
  
They'd use Eyes Only as their first subject. He was expendable and she could get more out of him this way. She had no doubts that the nano technology they were testing would work.   
  
Eyes Only would walk again, then he'd give her the information she wanted. She'd get her test results and they'd destroy him.   
  
Things were working out better then she'd planned. 


	4. Impatiently Waiting

Chapter 4  
Impatiently Waiting  
  
  
"So you and Max, you're both from Manticore?" Asha asked Alec. The two were sitting on Logan's couch waiting. That was all they seemed to be doing. Waiting and filling the hours with small talk.   
  
Max had left an hour previous claiming she needed space. She'd taken off on her bike and Alec didn't expect her back for another few hours.   
  
"Yeah. Both genetically engineered killing machines." he smiled and Asha scooted farther away from him slightly disturbed at his word choice.   
  
Alec couldn't help but smile at her discomfort.  
  
"And this Zack, he's...he's..." she couldn't quite get it out which Alec found more then slightly amusing.  
  
"He's our CO. Big, hairy, fang-like teeth, claws, he even has horns." he led her on.  
  
"Really?" she questioned, buying every last word out of his mouth. Fear evident on her face, though to her credit she tried hard to hide it.  
  
"No" he admitted and watched as she relaxed.  
  
"Um...When do you think Max will be back?" Asha asked trying to hide her embarassment at believing him by changing the subject. Alec wasn't buying it.  
  
"This really creeps you out doesn't it?" he questioned.   
  
"Look, it's getting late and I should be going." she offered instead, starting to rise. Alec grabbed her arm and pulled her back down next to him.  
  
"We're just like you. We just grew up on a military base and have souped up genetics that's all. Doesn't mean we don't like to go out and get our drink on every now and then." he offered hoping to calm some of her fears. If she was going to be working with them, she'd need to trust them.  
  
"Look, it isn't a big deal." she lied, very uncomfortable with Alec's close proximity.  
  
Leaning closer yet to her, Alec paused inches from her ear and whispered.  
  
"I could have snapped your neck long ago. And don't think I wouldn't have if I thought you were going to be a threat. I'm not going back to that place. Like you or not, I will not heisitate to hurt you if you even think about causing trouble."  
  
Asha's eyes grew wide. Swallowing the lump in her throat she tried to assure him she wouldn't dream of it. But she found that the words didn't want to come.  
  
Smiling at her reaction he backed away.  
  
"But I like you so I think I'll keep you around for awhile. Can we trust you?" he asked seriously as he reclined on the couch next to her, totally at ease.  
  
Finding her nerve she swung at him. Fist connecting with his cheek.  
  
"You're a real ass."  
  
  
  
Max sped through the streets of Seattle for a few hours.  
  
It had started to rain but she ignored it and focused completely on her driving. She couldn't slip up. She couldn't let her mind wander.  
  
Because when it wandered it liked to go directly to Logan.  
  
Screeching to a stop in front of the Space Needle she furiously climbed to the top.  
  
Re-living her own stay at Manticore; she tried not to think about what they'd do to Logan.  
  
Reaching the top she sat down and pulled out the note he'd written. She carried it with her everywhere.  
  
Opening it she traced her fingers across his now faded and creased words, vowing to make Manticore pay if they hurt him in anyway.  
  
This was absolute hell.  
  
She'd be willing to spend the rest of her life as Manticore's lap dog rather then have them hurt him.   
  
"I told you he'd only hurt you." Zack said from behind her.  
  
"It wasn't his fault." She offered weakly as she folded the paper and put it back in her pocket. "We have to get him out." she continued as she stood.  
  
Zack grabbed her hand and sat down, pulling her back down with him.  
  
"No Maxie. No we don't."  
  
an: sorry if the a/a thing is not your thing...it just sorta snuck in there...ok I admit I turned my back and covered my eyes for a little bit so they could sneek in there and I could pretend to be innocent. But seriously, they wanted me to do it. And my muse is very mean when I don't listen to her...so I'm listening. 


	5. Our CO, Charming Overlord

Chapter 5  
Our CO, Charming Overlord  
  
  
"Excuse me?" Max demanded turning toward her wonderfully supportive brother.  
  
"It's a trap Max. To lure us out so that Lydecker can come collect his kids." he tried to explain calmly.  
  
"Let's try this again ok. I say we have to get him out and you agree." she tried to explain.   
  
"We have to get him out." then nodded toward Zack to signify it was his turn.  
  
"No. We don't." he replied stubbornly.   
  
Max laughed angrily.  
  
"See I just don't think you understand."   
  
"No Max. You're the one who doesn't understand. If you try to get him out you will most likely end up back in their cages."   
  
"So! So what am I supposed to do! Sit back and let them hurt him! You know what they' ll do to him Zack! I can't just sit back and let them play Dr. Mangala on him! Damn it Zack! He saved your ass! He deserves your help!" Max paced angrily, coming very close to pushing her brother off the Needle altogether but stopping when she realised it would do them no good.  
  
"I can't help that Max. It is just too much of a risk." he tried, rising to his feet and placing a hand on her shoulder to get her to calm down. Max shrugged it away angrily.  
  
"Don't you dare touch me. Try it again and you find yourself learning how to fly...the hard way." she bit out, starting to pace again.  
  
"Max!" he said sternly, instantly turning into that CO that everyone hated. The Charming Overlord; the Conceited, Callous, Chronic Overlord; the Critical, Cynical, Condescending Overlord she just wanted to strangle.  
  
"Zack!" she demanded in the same tone, challenging his authority, making it clear she could care less what he wanted. "I'm doing this with or without you. I'm not asking for you permission!" she continued to his shock. "I'd like it if you helped me. But I'm not expecting it. I need to know how to get in contact with the others." she finished slightly calmer then before.  
  
"No." he stated simply.  
  
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Tell me or I'm gonna have to find them myself, quickly, not covering my tracks, putting them in more danger then if you'd just told me." she infered his would-be guilt in any danger her hunt would put them in.  
  
"Max I won't let you put them in any more danger because you messed up." Zack accused.  
  
"I messed up?" Max asked in disbelief. "And how exactly did I do that?"  
  
"You know how I feel about the two of you." he said cooly, avoiding saying anything that would convince her to push him off the Needle. The fire in her eyes told him that brother or not, she wasn't kidding when she'd suggested it, or at least that it wouldn't be wise to take her comment lightly.  
  
"That wasn't a mistake," she informed, "and if you refer to it as a mistake one more time I will be more then happy to see if Manticore put some bird in your cocktail as well. What is it going to be? Are you going to help me or what?"  
  
"You're not going to give up are you? I still can't give you any information on the others." he conceded softly.  
  
"Zack, shouldn't they be allowed the choice? You're not their CO anymore. You can't tell them what to do any more then you can tell me what to do. I've already made the broadcast." she stated calmly walking up to her brother and grabbing his hand.  
  
Tugging on it lightly she got him to look at her and then resorted to begging.  
  
"This is a mistake." he reluctantly agreed.  
  
"We don't really have a choice now." Giving him a quick hug she turned to go. "Come on let's get started with this. I want to get him out of there as soon as possible." 


	6. Could it be any harder?

Thanks to  
Kazzy  
veggie_5  
Aleana  
Natters  
Liz  
Debbie  
bb  
sillygoose  
who have been with me from the beginning...and let me know that they were with me...reviews get   
you mentioned....  
Sydpanball22  
Kyre  
who joined me later...  
And recently it has been brought to my attention that I need to thank   
Katerpillar once more...if you haven't read her reviews...she'd like it very much for you to go and read her stories...as would I.  
Oh yeah and time for me to plug authors...Check out Heat's stuff because it blows me away everytime. Nother good one...Sydpanball22 oh the angst is a killer but dang is it good stuff....Who else do I love...Oh I know...if you head over to the reviews for this story...you should just click on any signed review and read those people's stories...Ok I think I plugged for everyone...Anyone feeling left out let me know and I'll plug for you in my next authors note...But you'll have to email me so I know...hehehe I'm in a good mood right now...So my walking advertising self feels the need to plug Aleve here...all day strong all day long...dang it is good stuff. oh yeah and um play doh...I always loved that stuff. And Mr. T. I pity da foo. ok now I think I'm done with that. running commentary...I love reading authors notes and its fun to write them as well. Now on with the story.  
Chapter title and Song don't belong to me try the Calling. Which means I've got to thank Star24 for the beautiful music video that inspired me.   
  
Chapter Six  
Could it Be Any Harder  
  
  
  
You left me with goodbye and open arms  
A cut so deep I don't deserve  
  
Logan closed his eyes and tried to focus on something other then what they were doing. He couldn't believe he'd agreed to go through with this. He was such a coward. He should have fought them.  
But he knew he couldn't.   
For Max.  
He was doing this for Max. For her safety.   
He wouldn't have been able to do it if it weren't for her.   
Now he had Renfro's promise that Max wouldn't be hurt, for all that it was worth.  
God he hoped she wasn't lying.  
  
  
You were always invincible in my eyes  
the only thing against us now is time  
  
"Zack." Max whined. It had been a week and still nothing. For all they knew it could be too late to do anything.  
"Max." Zack threw out irritated as he typed away at Logan's computer.  
"Would you please stop whining? God, it's like you can't breath without the man." Alec complained from in the corner earning an evil look from both Asha and Max. "Oh Logan. I'm dying without you. Oh Logan." Alec continued in an annoyed voice earning him a punch in the arm from Asha and a death glare from Max.  
"Come on Max." Tinga offered leading her sister out of the room before Max could do any bodily harm to Alec. Tinga had arrived a few days earlier causeing an explosion from Zack.  
When Brin, Jace, Krit, Syl and Zane had followed Zack had eventually accepted it.  
  
  
Could it be any harder to say goodbye and without you,  
Could it be any harder to watch you go, to face what's true  
  
  
  
Logan felt as if his legs were on fire. But at least he could feel them.  
He should have been happy about it.  
But all he could think about was Max and how he'd let her go over some silly little thing. She was right all along. It didn't matter.  
All that mattered was how he felt. How when she left he couldn't move because it hurt too much.  
How he loved her.  
But damn that was difficult. Especially now that he'd probably never see her again.  
If I only had one more day  
  
  
  
I lie down and blind myself with laughter  
A quick fix of hope is what I'm needing  
  
  
"You love him." Tinga stated pulling Max down onto Logan's bed next to her. Max only nodded fighting back tears of frustration.  
"I know baby sis." Tinga pulled Max into a hug and Max clung tightly to her. "I know. That's why I married Charlie." Max pulled back in surprise.  
Smiling she answered her sister. "I'm happy for you Tinga. Just don't let Zack know or he might go psycho on you and drag you back to Canada with him when this is all over."  
"Nah we all know I could kick his ass." Tinga joked and Max laughed.  
  
  
And now I wish that I could turn back the hours  
But I know I just don't have the power  
  
  
Alone in cell recuperating, Logan fought the waves of pain and unconciousness that threatened to claim him.  
If he got out of here he'd tell her.  
He'd tell her how he wished he could just turn back time and hold her one more time.  
How if he could do it again, he'd do things so differently.  
  
  
Could it be any harder to say goodbye and without you,  
Could it be any harder to watch you go, to face what's true  
  
  
Max's laughter disolved into tears.  
"I miss him so much Tinga. What if they hurt him? What if we're too late?" Max sobbed against her sister's shoulder. "What if I lose him?"  
  
  
If I only had one more day  
I'd jump at the chance  
We'd drink and we'd dance  
  
  
Logan let a tear of anger at himself and his stupidity slip out.  
Why had he been such a fool?  
  
  
And I'd listen close to your every word,  
As if its your last, I know its your last,  
Cause today, oh, you're gone  
  
  
"He's gone Tinga. And he never knew. If he was here now I tell him...It hurts so much."  
Zack stepped up to the open door and opened his mouth but Tinga shoed him away before Max could find him there.  
"Could it be any harder?..."  
  
  
Could it be any harder  
  
Zack watched Tinga comfort Max for a moment before he left the two of them.  
Manticore would pay if they hurt one hair on Logan Cale's body.  
No one hurt his sister like that.  
  
  
Could it be any harder   
to live my life without you  
  
"...I don't know what I'll do if this is really the end. If we can't save him. If it's too late..."  
  
  
Could it be any harder   
I"m all alone  
  
  
Why couldn't he see that he had always been only half a man until she came to him?  
That his legs had nothing to do with it.  
Why had it taken him so long to realise this?  
  
  
  
"..I'm all alone. I've never felt so alone. I thought it was bad at Manticore. But now after all I've felt. This is so much worse..."  
  
Like sand on my feet  
The smell of sweet perfume  
You stick to me forever,baby  
and I wish you didn't go,  
  
  
"...but here. I feel him so close to me Tinga, here in his room." Max slipped out of her sister's arms and collapsed on the bed behind her, letting out a sigh and drying her tears.  
  
  
I wish you didn't go  
  
  
The image of her eyes as she left him that night still haunted. The saltiness of her unshed tears real enough to taste.  
  
  
I wish you didn't go away  
  
"Even though I know it wouldn't have done me any good, I wish I hadn't left him here. And it doesn't mean a thing for me to say I wish they hadn't taken him. But God I wish they hadn't taken him."  
  
To touch you again,  
With life in your hands  
  
When he got out of here he was going to pull her to him and hold her for the rest of time.  
It didn't matter how hard it was going to be.  
  
It couldn't be any harder  
  
  
  
  
an: ha you're all going look at how atrocious spelling and grammer was on that one. You're saying fragments...oh my the fragments. Save us from them. This is increadably raw. But I just don't have the heart for this story any longer. So if someone would like to finish writing it...be my guest...ok...no takers...oh...ok then I guess I'll have to finish it then. 


	7. Opportunity Knocks

Chapter Seven  
Opportunity Knocks  
  
  
"What's the matter, Eyes Only refusing to cooperate? Imagine that." Lydecker mocked in amusement over a cup of coffee.  
  
"I suppose you could do better?" Renfro smirked from her seat opposite her nemisis.   
  
It had been two weeks since the procedure. All had gone well and Mr. Cale was currently learning to walk again. But he had yet to give Renfro the information she desired. A complete list of his informants.  
  
"Yes actually. You've done nothing to prove that he'll get his freedom back after he answers you. He's not a dumb man. You're underestimating his intellegence. He knows you'll have him killed as soon as you get the information out of him." Lydecker tossed out causually. He was interested in Eyes Only for more then scientific reasons.  
  
If he had his way, Mr. Logan Cale would be leading him to his kids. Mr. Logan Cale would be helping him collect the strays and gain favor in the eyes of the council.   
  
But as of yet he hadn't even been able to get in to see this Eyes Only. Renfro had him under tight security and although Lydecker was in charge of this base, Renfro had been pulling rank and keeping him out. Bitch.  
  
"I've given him his damn legs back! I'd say that was a pretty good gesture of trust." Renfro exploded in exasperation.  
  
"You've used him as a guinea pig." Lydecker shot back.  
  
"Fine if you're such a hot shot. You get it out of him." Renfro barked throwing her coffee mug down on his desk and stalking toward the door. "Tell him it's his last chance if he wants to see 452 alive again." she threw out causually as she exited his office.  
  
Well that part at least would be true.  
  
~~.~~.~~.~~.~~  
  
Logan stood in the corner of his cell. He'd been doing that a lot lately, standing just for the sake of standing. He was still weak on his feet, which was to be expected after months of not using his legs, but he was improving daily and no longer needed help to walk short distances.   
  
He could move around his cell freely now, which was more freedom then he'd had in the last five months at least.   
  
His door burst open and a middle aged man walked in gesturing towards his cot.  
  
"Sit down." it wasn't a suggestion but more of an order and Logan found himself moving to comply. He didn't know if he'd be able to stand through the whole interrigation and he didn't want to find out by falling flat on his face in the middle of it.  
  
"We need that information son." Lydecker stood in front of him, trying to tower and use his size as intimidation, which may have worked wonders on his X-5's but Logan hadn't grown up at Manticore, Logan was not in the least bit frightened by this man's attempts at non verbal intimidation.  
  
"Lydecker I presume?" he questioned instead.  
  
"I can get you out of here. I know you're not dumb. That you've put two and two together and that you know Renfro has no plans of letting you live after you tell her what she wants. But don't think she won't terminate Max to get the information that she is looking for. If you're smart son, you'll tell me what she wants...even if it is only a lie, and I'll get you out of here."  
  
"Why should I trust you?"  
  
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Simply put Renfro is a meddling bitch who is trying to take over my base here. I would do anything to see her plans fail." Lydecker smiled.  
  
"That's not the whole story now is it?" Logan questioned. Still not sure of Lydecker's motives.  
  
"You've got two choices. Get not only yourself but Max as well, killed. Or get out and save both of you. I'm not seeing how there is a hard part to this decision."   
  
"Get me something to write on." Logan reluctantly agreed.  
  
"I knew you'd see things my way."  
  
~~.~~.~~.~~.~~.~~  
  
Getting Logan out of the base turned out to be easier then Lydecker thought it would be.  
  
Renfro had ordered his termination as soon as the contact list was in her hands, not even thinking to double check or validate it. Lydecker simply switched the syringes.  
  
Instead of Logan's dead body, the guards, loyal to Lydecker, removed Logan's unconcious body and placed it in Lydecker's trunk.  
  
He'd driven off base before anyone noticed the absence.  
~~.~~.~~.~~.~~.~~  
  
"This is the end of the road." Lydecker commented pulling over by the side of the road just outside of Seattle.  
  
"How am I going to get in without a sector pass?" Logan questioned not moving from the passenger seat. Lydecker had graciously pulled over earlier and let him out of the trunk.  
  
"That's not my problem now is it son." Lydecker smiled and pulled a gun. "Get out of the car." Logan moved to comply and Lydecker took off almost before he'd even closed the door.  
  
Shit. Sure he knew how to sneak in, he'd worked underground enough to know how not to get caught. But that was assuming he was in good condition.  
  
Which was not now.  
  
Slumping to the ground, Logan fought of the dizzying after effects of the drug Lydecker had pumped into his system, besides the fact that his legs just didn't seem to want to hold him up any longer.  
  
Closing his eyes, he tried to figure out a safe method of getting into Seattle.  
  
  
  
an: reviews...I know you're all saying stop asking for them...but really guys...nothing inspires my muse to pay a visit more...plus I really like knowing what you guys are thinking 


	8. Lost and Found

Chapter Eight  
Lost and Found  
  
an: tries not to make this a mad dash to the conclusion. appoligizes for the long wait between chapters.  
  
  
"Where are you going?" Zack shot out as Max slipped past the door to Logan's office.   
  
"Out." she answered just as sharply. He didn't want to be helping her and it was starting to show. Last night he'd handed her an ultimatium. He'd give it another week but then he was out.   
  
He'd thrown out other comments such as, "Logan's dead by now," and "It's hopeless."   
  
They'd been alternating between ignoring each other and barking at each other ever since.   
  
"Would you two just cut it out already?" Tinga burst out from her seat next to Zack at Logan's computer set up.   
  
"He started it." Max defended.  
  
"What are you, two?" Tinga snapped and Zack smiled. "That goes for you too." she glared at Zack and his smile faded.  
  
"Look we're all tired and getting on each other's nerves. I'll turn your asses in myself if you two keep it up. It would certainly be quieter around here."   
  
Max looked away sheepishly and Zack mirrored her actions.  
  
"Glad we could settle that. Max while you're out could you do me a favor?" Tinga asked rising from her seat and leading Max down the hall before continuing.  
  
"I've got a friend in Olympia..." Tinga started as she reached into her pocket and produced a letter. "... I was wondering if you'd mind delievering this to her." Max took the letter from her sister and noted the sole word scrawled across it, 'Charlie.' She smiled and interupted her sister.  
  
"Your friend gonna deliver it to Charlie for you?" Max drilled amused at Tinga's sudden blush.  
  
"In a round about way, yes. And be quiet about it alright." She hissed the last part.  
  
"Take it Zack doesn't know then?"   
  
"If you mean have I told him...no...if you mean has he probably figured it out by now between your screaming and the fact that I'm wearing this ring...yes he probably does know."  
  
"You should tell him." Max offered matter of factly as she pulled on her jacket.  
  
"Yeah sorta like you should tell Mr. Eyes Only how you feel about him."   
  
"Hey that's on my to-do list thank you very much." Tinga only nodded.  
  
"Her name is Alexis, 222 Columbia St NW. I'll see you later." Tinga pushed her sibling toward the door.  
  
"I mean it you know."  
  
"I'll see you later." Max smiled as the door closed behind her.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He must have fallen asleep because he woke up under a tree just outside of Seattle.   
  
His head was finally clear and he decided that now would be as good a time as any to figure out how he could get into Seattle.   
  
Although he had to admit, this was the last thing that he'd worried about while locked up in his cell at Manticore.  
  
It had been easy. Too easy. He couldn't go back. With breathtaking clarity he knew that somehow, somehow they knew. Lydecker wouldn't just let him go, he'd be naive to think that the colonel wouldn't have something up his sleeve.  
  
But if he couldn't go into the city where could he go?  
  
His pockets were empty and although he could walk, his legs weren't strong enough to carry him the thirty miles to the most logical place for him to hide out, his cabin. He could hitchhike if the his new, government issue, duds didn't scare people off.  
  
Once at the cabin he'd be stranded anyway. He had to get in.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Max tore through the streets of Seattle with an odd sense of forboding.  
  
On a mission. She was on a mission. The record continued in her mind. She'd been doing that a lot lately. Distracting herself with useless one sentance bits of information.  
  
Manticore was good for something. It taught her focus.  
  
Pulling to a stop at the last checkpoint in the city she flashed her pass and the sector cop ushered her through.  
  
They must have had a busy day because he didn't stop to hassle her. She was grateful.   
  
Smiling she sped off.  
  
The feeling in the pit of her stomach however kept growing, more intense by the moment, as if her cat like senses were picking up on something.  
  
Few times in her life had this happened. Once back in her teens, the night that Eva had been killed. The afternoon Logan had been shot. And most recently when she'd been headed to Canda with Alec.  
  
Times she should have picked up on something but failed to until it was made painfully obvious.  
  
She skidded to a halt, face shooting left and right searching the shadows of a nearby grove of trees. Her nose caught hold of a familiar scent. Her ears, the sound of soft breathing and a quickly beating heart just off to her right.  
  
"I know you're out there." she called out.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He panicked at the sound of a bike coming to life in the distance. It reminded him of Max. Of course most things did now.  
  
Hiding behind the trees he squinted to get a good look at the rider. Having spent the last few weeks without his glasses he'd forgotten just how impaired his long distance vision was. He'd gotten used to squinting, bastards at Manticore didn't seem to care about him being able to see.  
  
But she was too far away to make out clearly. She looked like Max.  
  
But then so did everything.  
  
When she called out to him however, he was certain.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He walked out of the shadows. Walked?  
  
She was frozen. He froze a good twenty feet away when his vision confirmed what he'd been telling himself.  
  
Their eyes locked.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
an: hehehehe. go ahead hate me for the mean way in which I left that chapter hanging. You know you want to. 222 Columbia St NW is an actual address in Olympia for the Olympia Center... my reasons for chooseing that addy... well...I thought it would be fun to convert something important into housing... My main reason for choosing that location however resulted from an internet search that turned up that address for the Olympia cultural arts programs... which... in my opinion would be something that the pulse might of knocked off. But then I don't live anywhere near Olympia so I don't really know anything about Olympia... But the search was kinda fun. 


	9. Developments

Chapter who knows what number this is?

Developments.

AN: Well Beth if you wanted to finish my fic why didn't you just say something sooner.  I'm all for passing the torch...hehehe...Thanks to Kimmy.  She got me reading this whole long trilogy over again and well has encouraged and inspired me to get my butt back in gear and work on this piece.  I'll admit that I've been struggling with DA lately and have taken to writing Alias fic.  I'll admit I'm obsessed with Alias.  I'll admit that even some of my X-files fic has come before this fic.  Yes I know that that is not a very nice thing for me to do but lately I just haven't been very motivated.  That's why Kimmy deserves such high praise.  She has of late become my motivation for continuing this.  So go read anything written by iluvaqt.  Done with this an.  Kewl. Kewl. Kewl.  Hehehe… next note I promise to work that word in more.  ;)

"Max?" his voice was shaky, as if he couldn't believe that she truly sat before him.  Reason and logic kicked in and his face lit up.

"God Logan." She was off her bike in almost no time, wrapped in his arms in even less time, and lost in him before she'd even left her bike.

"Not so tight." He joked loosening her arms.  "I do need to breath."

"I'm afraid you're going to be gone if I let up." She murmured into his chest.

"Never again." He vowed placing a kiss on the crown of her head.  

She pulled away enough to smile at him.  

"So when did you just up and start to walk?" she asked not hiding her enthusiasm at this new discovery.

"Not before I realized it didn't matter if I could or not.  But slightly before I realized how much work it would take to get me up on my feet again.  As much as I hate to cut this moment short." He gestured toward the bike as he felt his legs start to fail him.

Smiling she helped him over and on to the bike.  

"You want to drive or should I?" Max asked.  

He was shocked that she'd even asked.  She never let anyone drive her baby.  Rarely let anyone hop a ride on it in fact.

"You can. I'm pretty much blind." He smiled.  She answered his smile then climbed on in front of him.  His arms quickly wrapped themselves around her middle, his hands found the slight expanse of skin that her shirt failed to cover, and she quivered in his arms.  

Delighted by her response he whispered in her ear making sure that his lips brushed her lobe and his stubble scratched at her neck as he spoke.

"You are the most beautiful creature I've ever laid my eyes on."

"You better cut it out or we'll be spending the rest of the day in those woods over there." She answered settling back into his arms.

Too good to be true.  There had to be some sort of catch.  Much as she'd like to sit and revel in this moment too perfect for words, she wasn't dumb enough to think that things were just going to end up happily ever after.

Things never did.  The superhero always had to save the day again.  The superhero never got a vacation and the sidekick always got cheated out of the perfect moment by some unseen harsh blow to reality.

Reality really sucked when you thought about it.

"We can't go back to my apartment Max."  His voice had suddenly become serious.  Here was the part where he blew everything out of the water.  Here was the part that reality stepped in and gave them all a good kick in the ass.  A nice slap in the face for a wake up call.  

The bucket of water that drowned the moment in seriousness.

"You're being followed aren't you?" she asked.  Knowing that it was true before saying it.  Knowing that she should have known all along.

"I don't know but if Lydecker really wants you back then I would say his letting me out is a good indication of it."  He hugged her closer.  "I'm sorry." He whispered knowing that he'd just crushed her dreams.

"Knowing Lydecker I would have to agree.  It's ok.  It's not like we haven't waited before.  I'm supposed to head to Olympia anyway.  Got a letter to deliver.  Maybe we can lead him off of your tail."  She started her bike up and revved the engine.

"Well then, let's get out of here." He agreed and clung to her as she sped off.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"They are headed toward Olympia.  Max says Logan's probably being followed and if he is then we probably aren't safe here.  She said to head for the cabin."  Tinga offered as she hung up the phone a few hours later.

"I don't like how easy this has been.  Lydecker just letting him go.  It has to be a trap." Zack added lost in thought.

"Gee that is what Max said isn't it?  The whole Lydecker following Logan thing?"  Alec mocked, Asha slugged him.  

Tinga noticed that the two of them seemed to be hanging out with each other a lot lately.  So much in fact that their names seemed to flow together more often then not.  And Asha always seemed to be close enough to slug him for his comments.  She wondered if maybe the two of them might be more then they appeared.  For Asha's sake she resisted commenting on it.

Though she was sure to give Alec an earful later.

"So what next?" Asha asked.

"We move out."  Zack informed.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"So…"  Alec hesitated at Logan's door.

"Come on."  Zack complained loudly from the elevator.  The rest of the group had started out a few hours earlier.  Only Tinga, Alec, Zack, and Brin remained.  The rest of the X-5's waited patiently in the elevator for Alec to join them.

"I'll be down in a minute."  Alec tossed over his shoulder with clenched teeth.  

Tinga chuckled inside the elevator and whispered something that made Zack's eyes widen.

"Screw you."  Alec called over his shoulder.  Sometimes they liked to forget that he had enhanced hearing as well.  And he did not have a thing for Asha.  He'd just have to tell Tinga off later.

Asha giggled uncomfortably as the rest of the elevator laughed, the doors finally cutting them off. 

"What'd she say?" Asha asked.

"Nothing." He blurted.

"Liar."

"They thought that you and I… Well it's not important what they thought." Insert awkward silence.   "So…  you take care of yourself ok." He tossed out with a small smile.  She grinned back at him.

"I will.  You're not that bad for a monster." She joked.  Throwing his earlier intimidation speech back at him.

"I could still snap your neck you know."  He grinned right back.

"I'd like to see you try."

His eyes suddenly grew serious.  He didn't want to be leaving her.  She was a good friend.  He found that he could talk to her about things that he couldn't talk to his siblings about.  They'd never really taken him serious about much, she listened to him even when he was just being a flippant jerk and then she'd tell him so.  He liked that about her.  She was always honest with him.

Asha's eyes too turned inward.  She was going to miss his sarcasm.  He was one of the biggest players she knew.  But he never failed to make her smile.  And he really was deeper then a lot of people thought.  

"Next time." He promised.

"Next time." She agreed.

"I should get going." He added.  Stalling for time with her.

"Yeah.  You probably should."

"I'll be back you know.  It's not like this is goodbye forever." He added stealing nerve.

"No one ever said that it was.  I'm not-" her words were lost in his mouth.

Shock quickly turned to acceptance however as her lips mimicked his, as she answered his emotion with hers.  Neither understanding yet what exactly was going on, only knowing that this, whatever it was, felt right.  Or at least better then it had with anyone else thus far.

He broke away.  She smiled at him and he smiled back.

Placing a kiss at the corner of her upturned lips he moved to her ear and whispered.

"I still think Tinga's wrong."

"Me too." She choked out.

And then he was gone.

What the hell had just happened?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"You even got Zack to help out?  That's rather impressive."  Logan commented as he chewed on a carrot stick.

They had stopped at a hotel just outside of Olympia.  Currently they were eating a meal consisting of carrot sticks, potato chips, and beef jerky.  Not the healthiest of meals but the best that they could do on the three dollars and fifty cents that Max had in her pocket when she left his penthouse.

They weren't paying for the room.  Max had helped him into the open window, telling him that it was ok to live on the other side of the law once in awhile.  He'd protested and she'd insisted that if they were being followed it was safer.  He'd told her that if they were caught they were as good as dead.  She'd agreed and followed it up with a, "we better not get caught then."  He hadn't been able to refuse her.

"Yeah it wasn't easy…  So.  You're probably bugged you know."  She commented awkwardly.  

"Probably." He agreed.

"Take your shirt off."  She ordered.  He looked at her with mouth hanging open.

"Max I…" he protested.  She giggled.

"Bugs." She reminded him.

"Yeah.  Knew that."  Still his face turned a bright red before answering.  Taking his shirt off he chucked it across the room toward her.

Examining it she tossed it aside.

"It's clean. Pants." She ordered hand outstretched.

"Gee Max as much as I'd love to just strip down in front of you, would you mind…" He gestured for her to turn around.  His face flaming as her gaze left his face and gained a disturbing predatorial side.

Embarrassed she complied.  Regardless he headed for the bathroom anyway.  Something in him didn't trust the mischievous glint he'd caught earlier.

Complying with her wishes he chucked the discarded garment at her through the bathroom door and waited patiently.

"Clean." She called back.  "…Um…er…Logan…" This time she turned red.

"Clean." He called back laughing at her discomfort.  "What's the matter Max?  Cat got your tongue?"

"You'll pay for that later."

"I can't wait.  Now could I have my clothes back?"  She smiled as she gathered his discarded clothes.  

"Depends.  What do I get?"  She asked coyly as she hovered outside the bathroom door waiting for him to open it for her.

Opening the door he took the clothes from her but remained hidden behind the door.

"I don't know.  I can't think of anything to give you.  I'll get back to you on that one." He smiled and closed the door on her.

"Logan, sometimes Lydecker…  He's been known to put bugs…  They could have put it under your skin somewhere."  She broke off shuddering at the thought of them cutting into him.

He opened the door and pulled her to him.

"Then I guess you're just gonna have to help me find it."  He murmured into her hair, placing a kiss on the crown of her head.

"Sit down." She ordered pointing to the bed.  She suddenly became incredibly professional.  Logan was grateful; he knew how far this could go, especially with her.  And he didn't think they were ready.

Still her hands running through his hair and down his arms only inflamed the under current.

She found what she was looking for a few minutes after she began to the relief of Logan.  He had not wanted to strip down in front of her.

It was behind his right ear, a small bump, sutures just beginning to heal.

"I'm gonna have to cut it out."

"I trust you."

Nodding she produced a pocket knife and slowly opened it.

"I'm sorry. This is gonna hurt like hell."  He nodded for her to continue and tried not to flinch as she cut the skin behind his ear.

She tried to hold the knife still and make the process as quick as possible.

It was small, the size of a watch battery.

She sighed relief as he held a wad of toilet paper behind his ear to stop the bleeding.

"It's only a tracker.  It could have been worse.  Lydecker could have been listening to every thing."

"Why did you say so much then?  He'd know where to find everyone.  He wouldn't be led astray at all.  It would defeat this whole trip."  He growled angry with her for being so careless.

"When we stopped to get you something else to wear I called home.  Got everyone to move.  Chances are even though we are on the move he's still going to send someone to your place.  Especially seeing as how you didn't even enter Seattle.  He'll think that you're on the run.  Plus if he were listening in he'd have had someone waiting to stop us a long while back.  I was pretty certain that he wasn't listening in.  This just confirmed it."  She shrugged.

"Do me a favor ok?  Don't make assumptions like that again.  I trust you but you're not infallible." He pouted.

"Oh.  It's ok Logan." She mocked in a baby voice.

"That's incredibly sexy you know."  He smirked as she advanced on him.

"I know."  She placed a kiss on his cheek then straightened.  "Now lets bandage you up and get out of here."  

An hour later, the tracking device was discarded in a river and Max and Logan were on their way to deliver a letter.

An: once more if A/A aren't' your thing that's kewl.  But they are mine.  I don't feel the need to defend myself.  They want fic for themselves and I'm more then willing to give it to them.  Don't freak and think that this is going to turn into the Asha and Alec hour…cause it isn't.  They just want to be heard too.  And really who am I to say no?


	10. Conversations

Chapter...does anyone even read this?

Conversations

AN: Thanks to Kimmy and Kat.  Both of who have made this chapter possible.  I was having serious issues with some things in it and they both have great ears and listen well and let me tell you they have great ideas too.  Really good sounding boards.   Kat. I tried but well my cheese version won out.  Sorry.  Maybe you can make a sandwich with it.  Shrugs.  And due to the fact that this chapter just kept going on I had to cut it off.  So there's a bit of a cliffhanger in the middle of the chapter… don't ask me.  Weird place for a cliffhanger but oh well it's there none the less.  Also I'm thinking of spin off fic when this one's done.  For the X-5's and especially Alec and Asha cause dang they just don't shut up. 

"He's on the phone again?" Brin complained loudly pointing to her brother who'd taken to calling his girlfriend whenever he got bored, which was rather often.  

"Alec get your ass off the phone."  Zack ordered walking by and slugging the X-5 in the arm.  

"Get off it."  Alec spit out then turned back to the phone.  "Yeah they're having a cow.  It's not like anyone's going to be calling this dump anyway..."

Tinga smiled from across the room.  Zack hadn't seemed to mind Alec's attraction to Asha.  In fact he seemed to enjoy teasing his kid brother about it.  Maybe she was being naive but she felt it was about time she had a conversation of her own with her brother.  

Max was right about this one.  She needed to tell him about Charlie.

"Zack can I talk to you?"  Tinga asked getting up from her seat across the room.

He nodded and followed her outside.

"What is it?"

"Zack.  I told you about Charlie before.  That I needed to go back and find out what was going on between us...  I...  Charlie and I were married a few months ago."  She looked at him expectantly.  

For a while he said nothing, disappointment clear on his face.

"I wish you would have told me before."

"It wouldn't have stopped us."

"I know.  It's just...  this is so insanely stupid of you."

"That's hardly fair Zack.  Alec gets a slug on the shoulder and a nod of encouragement but when it's one of us.  Max or me.  You get all bent out of shape and make us into the bad guys."  Tinga huffed turning her back on her brother and hugging herself.

"Alec's not getting married."

"That's shit and you know it.  You're just coming up with excuses.  Why can't you just be happy for us?"  She turned to face him again.

"I am happy that you're happy Tinga.  I'm happy that you're finally getting the chance at a new life.  I'm not happy that you're doing it so close to Manticore.  I'm not happy that you're not being safe about this."

Tinga smiled.

"I got it covered.  Don't worry about me."  Then shoving her brother.  "You just need to stop worrying so much bro.  Get out there and get yourself a girl, a life.  I promise you won't regret it."

"As long as Lydecker is out there looking none of us are safe anywhere.  Just remember that ok?"

"Somehow I don't think you'll let me forget."  Zack smiled and started to walk off.

"Hey Zack wait a minute.  There's something else."

"What?"

"I'm pregnant."

"That's not funny."

"No seriously.  Charlie and I are expecting."

"Are you insane?!"  He thundered.

________________________________________________________________________

"Sir we have bad news."

"They removed the tracker."  Lydecker put in before the private could continue.  

"Yes sir."

"Have the tech's pulled anything off that phone tap yet?"  

"Not yet sir."

"Get out of here.  Next time I see you, you'd better have some good news for me or you won't be seeing much of anything again."  He barked.  The solider was quick to respond to his wishes.

Sitting back in his chair Lydecker looked at the transcripts of the phone calls from Eyes Only's penthouse to some untraceable number, where it appeared the escapee's had holed up.

_"Max called again.  I still think Zack has got the hotts for her.  He always gets grouchy whenever she hangs up.  Yesterday Zane was talking to her and Zack just ripped the phone out of his hands and went on about how it wasn't safe for him to talk to her for so long.  He doesn't care how long we talk though."_

_"He's just worried about you guys."_

_"Yeah well it's damn annoying.  He's got us all under lockdown. It's insane."_

_"Aww poor baby."_

_"Shut up."_

_"Ok."_

_"Asha...  Come on...  Asha...  Am I going to have to go over there?"_

_"Please do.  It's lonely here.  The place is empty."_

_"Why aren't you at your place anyway...  Logan's is not the safest place for you to be right now."_

_"Oh.  Are you worried about little weak human me?"_

_"No.  I'd be more worried about anyone who tried something with you.  You'd talk their ear off.  They'd end up begging you to shut up and dying long and painful deaths from the boredom."_

_"Why am I talking to you again?"_

_"Cause I'm perfect and you're jealous.  Plus you're bored."_

_"You're just damn lucky I can't hit you right now."_

_"I know.  But seriously why are you hanging at Logan's?"_

_"Cause I'm head over heels for the man and I like to sneak over to his place and lay in his bed..."_

_"Ouch.  That hurts.  And what kinky things do you do in his bed?"_

_"Alec you're one sick freak.  Have I told you that lately?  Cause it's the truth.  I'm over here cause my place was raided by some sector cops the other day, kicked all us squatter's out.  Plus I promised Logan to keep an eye open for Eyes Only info."_

_"Boring."_

_"Nah...."_

Just a bunch of mindless, pointless, boring beyond belief, conversation.

This was getting him nowhere.  

Lydecker was going to have to take action soon.

Renfro chose that moment to pop in.

"Have you gotten anything from the phone tap yet?"  She demanded.

"You know if you weren't in such a hurry to kill him off you could have validated the list before he was dead.  Then you wouldn't have needed a phone tap."  He smirked.

"Shut up Deck.  Like you've never screwed up.  When you've got something then you can talk."  She stormed out of the room slamming the door behind her.

The fake informant list Logan had drawn up for her was still a particularly sore spot.

Lydecker turned back to the transcripts studying them for anything.  He needed to get this done quickly.  Though Renfro showed no interest in looking at the transcripts herself now, in time she'd want to see them.   

She wouldn't wait for the edited copies then.

She'd go straight to the source, and she'd find out that Logan was still alive.

Then it would be his neck she'd be after.

________________________________________________________________________

"So. I was thinking…" Max broke out of the silence the two had descended into.  They left Seattle three days ago.  The letter had been delivered, any tails seemed to have vanished and the two of them had yet to discuss the new developments between them.

Like the fact that there was now nothing standing between them.

"Yeah me too."  Logan added staring out into the distance.  They'd stopped for lunch at a park.  They'd managed for three days to talk about anything and everything besides what they both felt hovering in the distance.  There'd been so many almost kisses that they both knew the subject needed to be discussed.

And quickly.

"This uh… thing.  I mean now is not really the best time to uh… deal with this uh…"  Now when Manticore was on a witch-hunt and she and her siblings were the witches.  Now when so much was at stake.

"Issue."  Logan finished for her.

"Right. I mean I'm glad you've got your legs back.  And I'm insanely happy that you're ok.  But I don't think that we should…"

"Start something." He finished again.  She looked up at him.  She hadn't managed to do that for but little snatches the whole way through.  He was looking off into the distance and she followed his eyes.

A couple sat at a picnic table.  The man had his hand around the woman's waist and the remnants of their lunch lay out.  They chuckled, the man's laugh deep, the woman's light and airy, carefree.   Two kids played around the table, running after each other screaming at the top of their lungs.  Damn there was even a dog.

She wondered what Logan was thinking.  

She looked back at him and her, them.  Here they sat under the shade of an enormous oak.  The ground soggy, the wetness seeping through their clothes.  She fidgeted restlessly while he just stared at the couple, the family.

From far away it could look like the two of them were a couple.  Like they were just starting out.  Maybe he'd carved their initials on that tree.  Maybe he'd come back here to propose to her.

The thought should have sent her running.  Last week it would have.  But now, as she spent more time with him, she could see him sitting with his arm around her waist.   It was something that she wanted.  But…

Well she could also see Lydecker swooping in and ripping it out from under them.  

Logan turned to smile at her and with his smile she found the strength to continue.  Maybe he saw their picture perfect vision ruined by Lydecker as well.

Maybe he understood, maybe he'd agree that now was not the time.

"Right, I mean Lydecker is probably looking for us. I mean I know he is.  He didn't just let you go, there's got to be a catch."  She tried to maintain eye contact with him but found herself looking away at various moments.  Wondering if maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have this conversation here.  Wondering if maybe she should have just hopped on the bike with him and rode off into the sunset.  

This after all was just as clichéd.

Just as cheesy.

"Right, and it's not smart to start something out here on the run." His voice was strong and certain.  

"Right.  Ok so we agree then."  Her voice questioning, not so sure that they shouldn't just forget the whole conversation had ever happened.

"We wait." His smile promised more.

"We wait."  Hers confirmed it.

He watched her eyes sweep back to the family.  He watched her as the uncertainty weighed in them, as she weighed her options once more and second-guessed her decision for what had to be the fifth time.  He wondered if she knew that although that family life looked tempting, although it looked inviting and peaceful, he wouldn't trade one minute of what they had for it.

He wondered if she noticed how the man kept looking around as if he feared discovery.  How the woman kept such a tight grip on his free arm as if he'd slip away.

He wondered if she'd seen them arrive in separate cars.  How the two children were clearly not his.  Probably didn't even share the same father.  

"I don't want to wait." Her voice was strong when she continued.  Her eyes looked up into his and locked.

"Truthfully Max, do you really want to jump into this now?  Because if you do I'm not objecting." He wasn't objecting but he also was not free from fear.

"No.  We can't.  But this will wait right?"  Her eyes never left his and he knew that maybe this wouldn't be easy.  That maybe it would take awhile.  But someday, someday they would be together.  And it would be everything and more.

"We've got all the time in the world."  He smiled hoping to coax one out of her as well.

"Don't say that."  She turned away and frowned.

"What?"  He questioned as she pulled some grass from the ground to her side and played with it.

"I don't know it just feels foreboding.  Like something bad will happen if you do."  Twisting a few blades between her fingers she avoided looking at him.

"Alright.  Scratching that from the record."  He wanted so badly to reach out and still her hands.  Whisper in her ear that it was going to be all right.  But he didn't.

"Good."  She looked up at him and smiled.  

"So…"  He smiled back.

"Anyways…" she paused. "Come on.  Let's go."  

"Where?" he asked as she stood and stretched.

"Anywhere.  I don't know.  Let's just go do something crazy."  She fidgeted more.  Not able to contain her sudden burst of energy.

"Crazy how?  Cause I'd like to do something crazy right here."  He played with her, knowing that if he surrendered easily he'd never live it down.

"Oh yeah?" smiling coyly she pulled him to his feet.  "Come on."  He smiled as he watched her walk away from him.  She paused when she didn't feel him following.  He was sure she could feel him following her like he could with her.

"Coming?" she asked.  He nodded and joined her.  

"Max?"  He grabbed her hand and pulled her close.

For an eternity he lost himself in her eyes, she watched the world through his as well.  The sun beamed across her dark depths, shinning light and hope into an area that had seen far too little of both.

He started to close the distance between their lips, longing to taste her on his, longing to feel her on him.  

She drifted closer, closer, closer.

"We've got to go."  She spit out suddenly and broke away from him.  Turning her back to him and wrapping her arms around herself, she closed the distance between her bike and him.

Reluctantly he followed.

The couple watched the two mount the bike and drive off, wishing that they could have had something like that.

Cause I love you kat…

**katerpillar03**: **mel  
katerpillar03**: **can i be honest here?  
mnmcharms**: yes  
**mnmcharms**: totally  
**katerpillar03**: **it is so fricken Cheezey i think i'm gong to gag  
katerpillar03**: **going*  
mnmcharms**: hehehe I know  
**katerpillar03**: **wow......  
katerpillar03**: **please.....**

Anyway that was fun wasn't it folks… Maybe a tad bit cheesy but hey.  YOU LIKE CHEESE.  Smiles.  I coulda just said screw it. M/L are not speaking.  Cause believe me they didn't want to.  They wanted to hide away from the rest of the world for a bit.  I don't know why. I don't know what they were planning on doing but they did want to.  I said "No you loser like peeps.  If you run away Asha will take over cause she's been begging for more of the spotlight. She's been writing her own lines and submitting them for my approval… yes she says… 'Mel can I please show you something I've been working on for your fic.  I know it's a M/L fic but really we'd like some attention as well'  I told her to 'shut up dumb blonde and I swear if you come up to me another time with those notes of yours I will kick you out of the fic permanently'  she has come up to me five times in the last ten minutes.  Now kids I know you want to just run off and hide away for a bit and that you're afraid that I'm just gonna tear you apart again for reasons of angst.  But I promise to play nice if you come back.  Remember I gave Logan his legs back.  For real.  For permanent."  And you know what Max told me.  She said: "You bitch you took them away in the first place.  And you made me suffer through Manticore for years, then you had them take me back.  Then there was Rafer, entirely unnecessary by the way.  And all the mean awful thoughts you've put in Logan's head.  Really making him think that he's not worth anything.  It's cruel.  Now Logan and I would just like a little vacation.  We'd like to get away from your angst and have a nice time.  So shut up and listen to Asha she's got some good ideas."  So I said. "Did you just tell me to listen to Asha?"  To which Logan said: "Fine we'll do it but you better write us some good cheese."  To which Kat said: well you saw what Kat said.

Ok ending this note now.  Way too long and drawn out.  Yes I'm a nut and no I do not want any help.


	11. Pick A Part That's New

Chapter Shrugs.... I Never know anymore...

Pick a part that's new

an: I KILLED THE EVIL SPIDER. HEHEHEHEHEHE... ok yeah sorry bout that... It cowered in fear... hehehehehe... I don't like spiders they scare me.  So I killed one and now life is grand... hehehe... ok seriously though they have no right to be in my room  so death to any that try....  I think this deserves a party...  or how bout a new chapter...  no just kidding... HELLO GOODBYE... rocked... I know lots a people out there are mad cause of it but honestly I thought it was a highlight of the season... and hey it inspired DA fic. Are you gonna argue with that?  If you are then you don't need to read this piece... cause hey wouldn't want to ruin your HG sucked moment now would I? Smiles.  That ep restored my faith in DA... though if they would thrown Lydecker in there somewhere that woulda really just made everything perfect... ok title courtesy of Sterophonic's Pick a Part that's New....  don't ask why I just... well it FELT right.  If you want to you can look up the lyrics up you can... I don't know how or if they even apply... I mean in some way I'm sure I could tie this piece to the song but well.. I'm not gonna try to right now.  I picked it more for the music anyway and you know what... THIS IS A FIC AND YOU CAN'T HEAR THE MUSIC. Sad huh?  I know I was really heartbroken about it too.  But it was all upbeat and well I liked it.  I'm done justifying myself.  Oh yeah and part of this was from Kat's mind… or something like that…  Sprung from a convo with Kat… I don't remember quite how it all went… here why don't I just let kat write the rest of this for you.

"What you're fine with my and Charlie and now...  What changed Zack?"  Tinga accused coldly knowing what was the matter.

"If you're going to be this stupid I can't help you.  You can't just bring another life into the world Tinga.  What you think that just cause you're all settled down and you've gotten yourself a picket fence Lydecker will just say oh sorry for bothering you and thanks for dinner.  God Tinga.  Any kid you have Lydecker will want."  Zack tossed out gesturing wildly barely keeping his rage contained.  She could tell he really wanted to hit something.

"Zack..." Tinga tried calmly.

"No.  I'm not listening.  No excuses Tinga.  They won't save you when Lydecker comes knocking."  With that said he turned and stormed into the cabin leaving Tinga alone.

She brushed a stray tear from her cheek and turned her attention to the lake.  

She had thought about Lydecker.  She was terrified that he'd find her, them.  She had never planned for this to happen, it just did.  She had hoped that he'd understand, which was obviously too much to ask from him.

With good reason, it was stupid.  All of it.  She should never have pretended that things were going to be ok, that she was going to be safe.  And she never should have come here and risked her life, her child's life.

But she knew there were no other options.

Max needed her and so she'd come.  Not thinking, not caring, about the consequences.

Zack was right.  Much as she hated it. He was always right.  He only wanted them to be safe.  And she hadn't been.  

Zack threw the door closed behind him.  

"GET OFF THE PHONE DUMBASS!" he thundered at Alec as he passed.  Amazingly enough everyone seemed to clear out of his way.

"I gotta go Asha."  Alec hung up.

No one dared to move or even breath.  

"What is wrong with you guys anyway?" he suddenly turned to face them.  "Do you think that Lydecker doesn't want you anymore?  Do you think that just because he doesn't know where you are he's stopped looking?  Damn it.  You are never going to be safe until he's gone.  Until Manticore is gone.  And even then you can't let anyone know about us.  Don't you get it?  You're never going to have a normal life."  He turned his back to them with a hanging head.

"I lied.  You're never going to be free."  He muttered then left the room.

"He's right you know."  Tinga stood in the doorway, tears streaming down her cheeks.  "We won't ever be able to run far enough away.  The people we love...  In the end we'll just hurt them.  Look at Max and Logan.  He's almost died because of her so many times.  I don't know if it's worth it."  With that said she too left them for another room.

The room was silent again.

"Did I miss something?" Alec asked suddenly.  "Where the hell did that come from?"  

"The had an argument."  Brin stated from her post by the open window.

"You think?" Alec threw out sarcastically.

"What about?"  Zane asked from his spot on the floor.  He'd been tinkering with an old radio, now it and his tools lay forgotten at his side.

"Tinga's pregnant."  Brin whispered knowing that they could all hear her.  The room was silent for the third time.

"I'm getting out of here."  Alec announced.

"I don't think... What about Zack?" Brin protested.

"You can all stay here under lockdown if you want but I'm not going to hang around with him on the warpath and her in the other room breaking down." he gestured.

"Why Alec?  Is it too hard?" Brin mocked.

"I don't see you in there with your sister." he shot right back.

She had no answer for him.  He nodded and she let him leave.

As Alec closed the door behind him one hand searched for his cell.

He shouldn't risk it.  He shouldn't call her.

What had they been thinking anyway?  Logan's phone could have easily been tapped.  Sure it was clean when they'd left but Asha wasn't at his place twenty-four hours a day.  Someone could have easily tapped it.

And if they had...

No he was probably being paranoid.  Lydecker would have made his move by now.  He would have put two and two together somehow.  Somehow he would have already figured out where they were.

The conversations between the two of them were not void of obvious hints.  They were anything but safe.  They had not guarded anything.  Lydecker would have swooped down.

Hopping on his bike he sat there and contemplated calling her.

Why did he need to call her anyway?

He rubbed his finger over the numbers lightly.  Not dialing, not yet.  Not until he knew why.

Why did he want to see her?

Why did any of it matter?

This was stupid.  She was just a girl.  He could have any girl.  If he wanted one.  

Why did he want her then?  Why was she different?

He knew why.  He knew that it was because she knew.  She knew and she didn't think he was some freak.  She knew and she hadn't told anyone about him.  She knew and pretended to understand.

She listened.  She cared.  

She didn't want him for what he was.  She wanted him for who he was.

But that couldn't matter.  He couldn't let it.  Otherwise he would end up like them.  Max and Logan.  Tinga and Charlie.

All on their way to discovery, on their way to destruction.

No one deserved to die because of him.  He was not worth her life.

Alec pocketed the phone and revved the engine.  Taking off before he could change his mind.

He made it a good mile and a half before he pulled over and pulled the phone out of his pocket and dialed her number.

"Hey.  You'll never guess what I just found out."

"What was going on there anyway?"

"Tinga and Zack had an argument.  Tinga's pregnant..."

"Wow."

"Yeah.  Zack gave us the 'we're never safe speech'..."

"Are you ok?" Why wouldn't he be?

"Yeah... uh... Can we meet somewhere?"

"Yeah.  Where?"

"I...  Asha.  I don't think we should be calling each other like this anymore."

"Why?  Alec this is going to be ok."

"No. It's just that.  What if someone's listening?"

"Then you just tipped them in that you're on to them.  Come on Alec..."

"Asha, Zack's right.  We're never going to be safe.  This, whatever it is, it's stupid."

"No what's stupid is that you think my life isn't already dangerous."

"Asha, this is... is..."

"Meet me at Max's place.  We'll talk there."  With that she hung up.  Knowing that it was stupid and that he should just turn around and head back to the cabin Alec headed toward their meeting place.

__________________________________________________________________________________

"Where did he go?"  Tinga asked when she finally came out of the room and found that Alec had left.  She'd heard through the walls Brin's explanation of Zack's reaction.  And she knew that if anyone needed to talk now it would be Alec.

Alec, who was himself, on the brink of something he couldn't control.

Alec, who was far from ok with it.

And now Alec was not here.  She should have known better then to let them see her like that.  Especially him.  

It wasn't all bad.  He needed to know that.  He needed to know that she wouldn't have traded her time with Charlie for anything, and that when this was all over she'd be going back to him.  

Alec needed to know that it wouldn't matter where he was, if he did something stupid then he'd regret it.  Which could be just as bad.

"I don't know he just took off."  Brin offered quietly.

"Tell Zack I'll be back later."  She gave them all a smile hoping that it would keep them happy until she could talk to them then left the cabin.

He'd head for Asha.  

She headed for Logan's.

__________________________________________________________________________________

"Pregnant.  Interesting."  Renfro commented.

"I've got men headed over to Eyes Only's place as we speak.  Apparently 494 has fallen for this girl.  She should be a valuable bargaining chip until we can get the others drawn out of hiding.  She'll tell us what we need anyway."  Lydecker assured.

"You better be right about this Deck or it's your head."

"Patience and we'll have them all back."

"I don't care about the others.  656 is our priority now."  If anything Renfro was easy to distract.  She went from one crusade to another in the blink of an eye.

"Of course."

an: sigh... cliffhangers... suck don't they.  oh well.  Sorry bout the lack of M/L but I gave them that well deserved vacation.  They having fun... let em.  Cause I don't know but I might have more angst for them yet.  I doubt it but anything is possible.   Now I think I've done a pretty good job with leaving the angst out of this one, comparatively speaking that is.  I mean if you disagree by all means please go read the last story again....hehehe.  ok yeah me just blabbing.  I've done an excellent job of sharing too.  Lately that is.  Syd and Vaughn decided that Max and Logan need some time too.  And as for Mulder and Scully... well they are just too depressing lately...  gee... I mean really even I can't go on and on about Scully dying... it's just way to hard for me.  I should get her out of that soon though... I mean... I've left her suffering for like half a year now... which is kinda cruel don't you think.... ok I'm officially Marshall.  Later before I start in on something else.


	12. Consequences

**Chapter...since no one reads this why should I go find out what number it is....12 I think.**

**Consequences**

AN: _Slaps all her reader's hands, cept Kimmy's.  Really guys that last chapter wasn't that bad was it?  Bad peeps.  I shouldn't have to remind you to let your voices be heard.  But after the ONE review from last time I guess I need to remind you all that I'm not psychic.  I like hearing what you have to say.  POSITIVE or NEGITIVE.  So that was your hand slap/ lecture for this note.  Next time maybe I can have something fun and entertaining for you to read.  Oh yeah if you haven't noticed yet.  I've created a spin-off fic for you all.  It's called When Worlds Collide, thanks Kimmy for that title help.  And it's a further continuation of Asha and Alec's story.  I gave them their own fic and they are quite happy now._

"So this is it huh?"  Logan sighed as Max brought the bike to a stop in front of his uncle's cabin.

"Yup time to face the real world."  Max added with a significant lack of enthusiasm.

"They don't know we're here yet.  We could always just turn around and leave."  He pulled her closer to him from his seat behind her.

"They heard us coming a good ten minutes ago at least.  They're just giving us time."  Max admitted what both of them knew.

"You know that really sucks.  Having a cabin full of genetically enhanced people.  It makes it real hard to just sneak away."  Max only nodded.

"Something's off."  She finally spoke as she untangled herself from his arms and climbed off the bike.

"What?"  He questioned following suit.

"I don't know.  It's too quiet."

"Why do I have the feeling that this is only going to get worse when we walk in that door?"  Logan commented.  Max turned to him and grabbed his hand.

"Oh come on.  Easy isn't any fun." she teased and tugged on his hand, pulling him behind her.

"Yeah sure.  It's less tiring though."

"Hey one day we'll miss this."  She tossed over her shoulder.  He paused and pretended to think.

"No.  I don't think I'll miss it in the least."  He finally concluded earning himself a chuckle.  She pulled him after her again.

"We can joke later.  Now we need to find out what new development is going to get in our way." she almost chirped.

"And you're so cheery about that." he teased as they climbed the stairs.

"Well you're not helping much in that department.  Somebody's got to lie to them self." she offered frankly.

"Why is that again?" He stopped causing her to stop as well.  Delaying the inevitable just a bit longer.

"Cause that's just the way it's done." She offered rolling her eyes.

"Oh yeah.  Right, I forgot." he smiled and let her lead them both into the silent cabin.

Everyone sat in silence.  Everyone except for three people that was.  Alec, Tinga, and Zack all seemed to be missing.

"Alright.  What's going on?" Max sighed.

"Tinga's pregnant.  Zack's pissed.  Alec ran off.  And Tinga went to find him."  Brin informed.

"Oh so nothing."  Max rolled her eyes.  "Seriously, I can't leave you guys alone."  She groaned.

"Any idea's about where Alec went?" Logan asked automatically locking into his Eyes Only persona.

"He probably ran off to his girlfriend." Zane muttered.

"Who?" Logan questioned confused.  Girlfriend and Alec didn't really mix all that well together.  Hooker and Alec, now that went better.

"Asha."  Max supplied.

"Alec and Asha?  You never told me about Asha."  Logan pointed out.  

"I didn't?" Max questioned innocently, hiding something.  Logan caught the reason immediately.

She'd been jealous.  It was cute.  He smiled and pulled her into his arms.

"Don't worry about it Max.  There never was anything there." he whispered in her ear.

"Why would I?" she shot back.  He only smiled and released her again.

"Come on I'm gonna go bring back the cavalry." Logan smirked.  Asha and Alec?  Yeah thinking about it he could see it.  Though Alec was going to be in a hell of a load of trouble if he ever pissed her off.  

"Actually I think I'm going to go see if I can talk so sense into Zack."  Max sighed.  Logan raised his eyebrows at her. 

"Brave." he stated.

"Not quite.  Stupid is probably a better answer.  See ya later." she smiled and he answered her with the like.

"Oh cut it out already."  Zane complained and chucked a pillow at his kid sister.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Alec?  Asha?" Tinga called out as she entered Logan's penthouse.

"No, I'm sorry but I guess you'll just have to put up with us instead 656."  Lydecker was sitting in Logan's office and as she came around the corner and saw him he spoke.

She tried to run but found herself surrounded.

"I believe congratulations are in order.  This is an excellent opportunity for us.  Thank you 656." he smiled and gestured to an X-6 behind her with a syringe.

And then her world went black.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Logan raced toward Seattle on Max's bike.  She'd taken to letting him use it.  He smiled, knowing exactly what that meant.  

Alec always seemed to be interrupting things.  Logan sighed as he pulled up in front of Max's place.  He'd promised to pick up some things for her while he was out and her place was on the way to the penthouse.

He hoped O.C. wasn't in.  She'd be full of questions and the less time spent in Seattle the better things would be.  Not that he was thrilled to go back and see Zack.  

O.C. wasn't home but Max's place wasn't empty.

"We weren't expecting anyone." Alec sputtered and quickly rose to his feet.  Asha joined him looking somewhat sheepish.  Logan tried to hide his grin.

They'd been making out on Max's couch.

"That was obvious." He commented, causing Asha to blush and earning a glare from Alec.  "Where's Tinga?"

"Tinga?  Isn't she back at the cabin?" Alec asked.

"We haven't seen her." Asha offered.  She didn't think having her employer find her making out when all hell had broken loose was a good thing and she continued to avoid eye contact with him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So what the hell is your problem?"  Max demanded as she closed the door behind her.  Zack was standing at a window looking out.  He'd seen her arrive.  He'd heard her in the other room.

That didn't mean he was going to talk to her.

"Oh I see how it is.  Zack you're a selfish, immature, bastard." She said coldly.  He still didn't answer.

"Tinga is doing what she should have been doing all along.  Having a normal life.  There isn't a damn thing wrong with that.  If you'd get your head out of your ass you might learn that."

"She's getting herself killed." he answered spinning to face her. "Lydecker is going to want her even more if he ever finds out she's pregnant.  Then it won't be just her, but the kid who will be in trouble.  We aren't meant to---"

"To what Zack.  Live.  Cause what's life if you can't share it with anyone?  Tell me Zack.  Tell me that you're happier now.  Now that you're out here.  Tell me it was worth it for you."  Max interrupted.

"That's not the point Max!" he lashed out.  Happier.  Sure.  Happier that he was free, but that didn't mean he was jumping up for joy every last fucking minute.  He was too busy babysitting his irresponsible siblings.

"Then what is?" Max softened.  She knew he wasn't happy.  How could he be?

"I want you guys to have lives Max.  I want you to be happy.  But you aren't like them.  You can't ever hope to have the same safety and security as they do.  You can't have the same kind of lives as they do.  We could all leave.  Go to Canada.  Things would be better there.  You could have more then you'll ever be able to have here." he softened as well.

"I'm sick of living like that Zack.  Let's just end it.  We can you know.  There are enough of us.  Then you wouldn't have to babysit us.  Then you could have a life too.  You never will be able too until Lydecker's gone."

"It's not that easy Max."

"Then let's make it that easy."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Shit."  Alec saw them before anyone else.  He stopped jerked his bike to a stop a hundred yards away from Foggle Towers.

Logan pulled up next to Alec and Asha.

"What?" Logan asked.  Alec only pointed.  

Lydecker was leaving his building with about ten soldiers.

One of them carried Tinga.

"Shit." he echoed.

"I'll tell Zack." Alec muttered.  "It's my fault anyway."  Asha's arms tightened around his waist.


	13. Passionate Outbursts

**Chapter... funny I actually know...13******

**Passionate Outbursts**

AN: _Yup I'm finishing this one up. Cause I want to get back to this Alias fic that I started the other day but if I go work on it now then I'll never ever finish this fic. Smiles. And I know that half the people reading this have probably forgotten all about it. So I figure it's a good thing for me if I finish it before everyone gives up on it.___

It wasn't pretty.

Max, Brin, and Zane had to hold Zack back. Alec considered himself lucky to get out of the cabin with only the black eye and split lip. 

"It's not your fault you know." Asha spoke softly, coming up behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It is. She never would have left if I hadn't..."He offered her a weak smile before turning back to face the lake.

"Alec..." she sighed. "You didn't know she'd come looking for you." He suddenly turned to face her.

"You don't get it do you? She's back there! Because I was with you!" He yelled.

She didn't flinch when he got in her face. 

Flinching would show weakness, and she knew that weakness was not appreciated.

"Because _I was selfish. Because __I was stupid. __She won a trip back to that hell." He continued._

"You're not that important Alec. She made her own decision." she answered just as strongly.

"Asha get off it. _You're not that important. I never should have left. To see you. Of all the things. I left to see you." He let out an ironic chuckle. _

"Fuck you Alec. Did it ever occur to you that she wouldn't even be here had Max not called? It's just as much her fault as it is yours. Tinga made her own choice Alec. And you damn well know it." Asha hissed.

"What did you think Asha? I'm leaving when this is over. I always was just on my way out. Did you think that we were something special?" He demanded.

Asha laughed in anger.

"You know I was right. You are a soulless bastard. Too afraid of your own shadow. You could end this but you won't. Emotions too much for you? Is it too hard for you to admit that you are human? Or do you just like the added drama." 

"Go to hell. You don't know anything about me." He spit out.

"More then you think asshole. And I guess I'll see you there. If you ever get your head out of your ass, don't bother calling." She started to storm off.

"I won't." he called after her. "Ever." She turned around and rolled her eyes. "I mean it." He turned back to the lake only to hear a bike roar to life.

"Hey!" he called out and started toward Asha, who was currently sitting on his ride. "Get off that!"

She offered him a saccharine smile and then sped off.

"Bitch." he muttered under his breath in disbelief.

Max watched the two from the window. And couldn't help but smile when she took off on Alec's ride.

"What's so funny?" Logan asked coming up behind her.

"I think I seriously underestimated Asha. She just stole Alec's bike." The smile quickly slipped from her lips.

"What did he do?" Logan asked placing a hand on Max's shoulder. Her hand came up to twine with his.

"He told her that there was nothing between the two of them."

"Well there certainly wasn't anything between them this afternoon." Logan joked. She only offered him a half smile.

"Hey don't worry. We'll get her out of there." He squeezed her hand and she nodded.

"I know. But will it be soon enough?"

Alec chose that moment to enter the cabin.

"Get out of here." Zack warned.

"Make me." Alec taunted.

Zack had all the incentive he needed. He had Alec pinned up against the wall in one second flat.

"Outside." Logan ordered sternly, surprising everyone.

"What the hell? You're giving them permission to kill each other. I love you and all Logan, but we're gonna need them."  Max interrupted as Zack dragged Alec outside by his collar. Although he wasn't dragging much, considering Alec was going willingly.

"It's now or later. I prefer now." Logan answered. Max rolled her eyes and started for the door with the intent of stopping them.

Logan grabbed her by the shoulder. And she backed down.

"Much as I hate to admit it, you're right. They're both to pig headed to just drop it." She admitted.

"Hey Eyes, got any popcorn round this place." Zane joked from his spot at the window, not taking his eyes from the two fighting X-5's for even a second.

"Your siblings are easily amused." Logan smiled.

"Are you kidding me? They've been waiting for Alec and Zack to fight since we were old enough to talk. Tinga's gonna be pissed she missed it." Max smiled back and pulled him to the window with the rest of the room.

Logan cringed as Zack threw Alec into the side of the Aztec leaving a dent. 

"They better stay away from my baby or they're both gonna be in a world of hurt." Max warned. 

Alec retaliated with a swift kick to Zack's face, followed by a nasty looking jab at his stomach, and a quick trip over Alec's head. Zack was flat on his back with Alec standing over him, one foot crushing Zack's windpipe.

Zack grabbed Alec's ankle and yanked him down. 

The fighting went on. Each attack met and countered. 

"How long can they go on with this?" Logan finally asked, when Zack in an interesting turn of events, decided to use the lake; currently he was holding Alec's head underwater.

"Honestly, they'll probably go on until they both pass out if someone doesn't step in." Brin offered, as Alec tossed Zack over him and into the lake.

"Max." She nodded at Logan's comment.

"Yeah. I better go stop them." she reluctantly admitted. Then muttered, "Idiots." and pushed her way through the crowd and outside.

Alec was on the ground trying to catch his breath; Zack was waiting, busy himself trying to catch his breath.

"Cut it out you two. You've made your points." Max ordered.

"Stay out of this Maxie." Zack bit back.

"Yeah Maxie. Zackie is busy. Come back later and maybe he'll have more time for you. If he's not unconscious that is." Alec added from the ground, blood running from his nose and lip. 

"You got something to say solider?" Max demanded. "On your feet."

"You don't want to mess with me right now Max." Alec warned.

"Yeah. He might bleed on you." Zack sneered. Max flung around and jabbed her elbow in Zack's temple, sending him to the ground in surprise.

"What the hell?" 

Alec laughed and Max kicked him in the stomach sending him to the ground as well.

"Are we done now boys?" she demanded at the two bruised and bleeding children at her feet.

"Bitch." Alec lunged at her. 

"For once I agree." Zack added running at her.

It took her three minutes and both were on the ground.

"Are we done now?" she asked again. When they didn't answer for a moment she continued. "Good. I've got a sister I'd like to break out. And if you two aren't too busy I could use your help."

AN: _kinda short I know. But hey it was kind of amusing._


	14. Skipping Town

Chapter 14 

**Skipping Town**

AN_: And like that it's over.  As I sit back and reflect on this season I am forced to ask myself why.   I have tried to write it off as a nightmare.  But then I think it had its moments, Berrisford, Hello Goodbye, Proof of Purchase.  And then I remember it's downfalls, Love in Vein, Fugedaboutit, and yes the awful Gossamer moments of Borrowed Time.  Now as the credits roll for the season finale, I'm left pondering a few things....spoilerish rant ahead....  For instance, how are Sketch, O.C. and Logan going to survive in Terminal City, if of course it is hazardous to their health to stay, what happens next, when is this coming, and mostly I think... why did I have to wait all season for that shippy hand holding moment, so different from all the other shippy moments.  And as I sit here and ponder I'm forced to say... You know, I think it was all worth it just for that last moment.  True there are moments that I would like to forget, and true I am still pissed at the writers for wasting certain characters...cough...Asha...cough.   But , it's all good.  And if that was the end, I can't say that I won't be disappointed.  But I can say that it had its highlights, it had its downfalls, but in the end it was ok.  In the end I don't regret wasting my tuesday nights and then my friday nights, in the end I'm happy that it was there.  And I guess that's all I can really ask for right?  That it goes out on a high note.  They may be broken and beaten, but they still have that drive, and hope.  Finally I got some hope.  And that is all that really matters._

_Sides it's fun to mutilate it anyway.  And I can always fix what they have broken.  So...._

_It's all good._

_Now on with the fic. Yeah I know stupid author's notes.  Ask if I care.  ha ha ha. You have to tune in for my rant so you might as well just get it over with.  And smile. If you don't I'll invent some angst for you all....You know I can._

"You know Deck, I've been thinking.  And if I were you I would not be here right now."  Renfro casually threw at Lydecker.  She sat across from him, sipping her coffee as he gloated over the recapture of 656.

"She is just the beginning." He couldn't help but smile, thinking he had finally shown Renfro to her corner.

"You seem quite confident in yourself.  It really is too bad you won't be sticking around.  But honestly Deck, going behind my back like that is just not acceptable." she smiled.  Her smile did not light up any room, instead it chilled the occupants.  A breath of icy air instead of a warm glow.

Lydecker raised an eyebrow in question, suddenly not very sure of his newly acquired position.

"Logan Cale is still alive.  In fact you helped him escape.  The council won't like that very much.  Finding out you let yet another one of our little projects out into the world.  Helped him out into the world actually.  I'm rather disappointed in you Deck.  It really is such a waste.  And all for a group of X-5's who would be dead now had they not escaped."

"What are you talking about?" he demanded.  

She smiled.  He had remained oblivious just as she'd planned.  She really couldn't have afforded to let him know until after it was done.  He would have fought it.  His unscheduled trip to Eyes Only's penthouse had been the opportunity she'd been looking for.  He'd left with his loyal foot soldiers.  She'd finally been free to act on the council's wishes and terminate the project.

"While you were off on your little goose hunt Deck, I took the liberty of filling the council's orders.  You know the ones I'm talking about.   The orders to terminate the project, the ones you've been avoiding for quite some time now." She gloated.  She would have turned him in for his little Eyes Only escapade earlier but she had wanted to see his face when he found out his pet project was over.

It made it all worth it.  

He didn't speak.  She had expected words, harsh words.  But he offered her none.  Which made the moment sweeter.

"I suggest you leave quickly." she continued to smile as she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

"It seems we have a problem..."

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Asha sped toward Seattle.  Home.  If she could call it that.

She had no place to go, she knew that.  She knew that returning to Seattle meant returning to nothing. 

 The S1W.  It was the only thing that had kept her for so many years.  That and Eyes Only.  But now Eyes Only was gone, temporarily at least, and who knew when Logan would be able to get back on the air.

The S1W was no more then a band of misfits now.  A band of misfits who sold out to the highest bidder.  They'd been a little too loud, a little too slow, and a little too stupid.  Action now, their motto.   Asha thought that maybe they should have taken it a little less literal.  Because action now often left out the careful planning.

Oh they'd been careful in the beginning.  They'd been more then careful.  But when you lose your leader in a shoot out and the second in command is impulsive and impatient, careful often flies out the window.  Bad leadership always leads to downfall.  Resistance groups were not exempt from this law of life.

Truthfully Asha hadn't done any S1W work in quite some time.  

So returning to Seattle for the S1W seemed like a stupid reason as well.

Anyway she looked at it Seattle just held painful memories.  She had no home.  No friends worth mentioning or staying for.  And her employment was spotty at best.

LA, San Francisco, Reno, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver...  They all held something she was more then willing to get.  A second chance.  A fresh start.

Asha turned the bike south and left Seattle, the memories, and Alec behind.

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AN: _Yes I know it's short but... Ok I have no excuses other then the next part doesn't want to fit with this chapter.  It's being a pain in the butt.  I'll have to kill it.  But first you should get something to read.  You have no idea how tempted I've been to just tell you to read the AJBAC transcript and change a few things.  Absolutely no idea.  But that would be unfair and because of that I am trying my best to change it and fix it all.  So I promise that it will not be so similar.  I was just reading it earlier today and thinking, gee that would fit so well, but this is my fic and so I'll have to make it mine.  Although I may still borrow a bit.  You should know within the next few chapters.  _


	15. Misguided

Chapter… will this fic ever end?

Misguided 

AN_: hey I just can't not do the angst thing.  Yeah yeah I promised you all a happy ending I know.  But heck when you're me happy endings don't come easily.  Sorry Alec and Asha fans…the ending to this fic won't be very happy for you.  But all Max and Logan issues will be resolved.  Alec and Asha have their own story now and so we will be dealing with them there.  And yes Kimmy, Asha has left town, I'm not sure yet but I'm thinking she's left the fic as well.  Sorry.  It just has to be this way._

"I called Bling. He's bringing over a few things."  Max nodded as she brushed by him.  She didn't want to talk, her body language made that very clear.  Her arms crossed her chest tightly, her jaw firmly in place, teeth clenched, eyes cold.

He felt bad for her.  She'd spent the last hour or so arguing with Zack over how they'd go about getting Tinga out.  She wanted to burn the place, bomb the place, destroy it so that they'd finally have a chance.  He wanted to go in quietly and get Tinga out.  Minimum risk, minimum damage.

Logan agreed with Zack on the damage issue but was all for Max's plan of just ending it.   Max was right.  Dragging out the inevitable wouldn't do anyone any good.  Manticore would have to fall, the sooner the better in his book.  Because when it was finally gone then they could all get on with their lives.

And Logan was more then willing and eager to help Max get on with her life.

Logan watched Max leave the room and lock herself in the bedroom.  He contemplated going to her and knocking for entrance.  He decided to give her a few minutes first.  She needed to be by herself for a while, she hadn't been offered that privilege in quite sometime and he knew that she still wasn't comfortable telling him everything.

He turned his eyes toward the window and let them land on Alec.

Alec had yet to come in.  He sat facing the lake, knees pulled up to his chest, playing with something.

Logan had never been a huge fan of Alec.  But he didn't outright hate the man either.  And after the day the misguided youth had had, he was sure that Alec would have a lot on his mind.  So instead of finding his way to Max's door, Logan found his way to Alec's side.  Joining him on the grass.

"So…"  Logan started out, noting the object in Alec's hands.  His cell phone.  Logan kept the small smile to himself, wondering if Alec had used the object yet.  He was certain it was only a matter of time before Asha's pager would be displaying Alec's number.

"I don't want to talk." Alec answered abruptly.  Then wiped at his face, smearing the drying blood that ran from his nose across his cheek.  

"Hey I'm just enjoying the sunset here." Logan tried again.  Wondering if maybe Max would have been an easier subject to tackle.  

The two sat in silence as the golden light disappeared leaving the sky with an orange-pink glow that reflected in the lake.  Alec fiddling with his phone, Logan fiddling with small bits of grass, plucked from the ground beneath him.

"She stole my bike." He suddenly let out, dropping the cell to the ground between them.

Logan smiled as Alec shook his head from side to side slowly.

"She stole my damn bike." He repeated.  "She just doesn't get it.  It's not like I'd planned to… to…  Oh hell what does it matter? She's not worth it… right?"  Alec turned to Logan waiting for an answer.

"She's a great girl Alec.  A good friend of mine.  We've known each other for quite awhile.  If you have no plans of taking her seriously…  Just don't lead her on." He put in not wanting to sway him into something he clearly wasn't ready or willing to accept.  He'd figure it out.

"The thing is she's not like anyone else I've been with.  I never know what I want with her.  And she can be such a bitch at times.  I don't know anymore.  I guess it's a good thing she's gone.  Easier in the long run."  He rested his chin on his knees, letting out a small grunt as he curled up.

Logan wondered how many cracked ribs, bruises, and other various injuries the youth had sustained.  From the looks of him he certainly wasn't doing all that well.  But he brushed it off as if it didn't exist.  Logan wasn't surprised.  He's seen Max come back battered and bruised from a few Eyes Only missions and her injuries never seemed to phase her much.  He wondered if she just had a really high pain threshold or if it had more to do with her training.

From Alec's distant look he judged it was more of a genetic thing, but when he spoke it was highly guarded and very clear which led Logan to believe that maybe it was training.  Not that the reason really mattered much.

"If I hadn't been with her Tinga would still be safely tucked away here."

"You don't know that."  Alec only mocked Logan's comment with a smile.

"I'm not sorry that she's gone.  I'm not sorry that I'm not going to see her again.  I'm only sorry that Tinga is not here because I didn't end it sooner." And with his final words he stood, picked his phone up, and launched it into the lake.

Logan sat with eyes wide.  He'd not expected that.  "Alec I don't think that…"

"We're not like you two.  We never have been.  And I know what I'm doing." Alec interrupted.  

Logan let him go.  There was no talking sense into him.

He had a good idea that Asha would have known what to say however. 

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The bitch would pay.

If Lydecker was certain of anything it was that Renfro would not be sitting behind his desk for very long.  

She'd killed them all.  Barrack after barrack.  He'd visited them all and every one greeted him with an eerie emptiness.  The bunks made, not a crease in the bedding.  The floor clean and sharp.  Everything in its place except his kids.  The empty rooms echoed the words she'd spoken.

The full morgue testified of the truth of those words.

To her they'd been numbers, faulty numbers.  Like rats collecting and multiplying in the walls.  He knew better however.  

Numbers they may have been, but they were his numbers.  And they had names.  Though he never encouraged the use of those names, he knew they existed and on some level was proud of the fact that they did.

Flawed they may have been, but it only made them more real, more human.  In time he could have used that too.  Could have manipulated them in all the right ways from their birth.  Every new generation showed vast improvements over the last.

He was making improvement.  But like every parent, he was learning as he went.

Renfro ended that though.  And for her crimes she'd not be so lucky as to inherit his position or the Council's favor.  Especially when she didn't have a base of operations to run from.

That was why he made his way to Eyes Only's penthouse.  That was why he followed the man who left with armloads of equipment.

And that was how he found himself at a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere surrounded by angry X-5's.

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It was Max who found Logan.  

After his slightly 'off' chat with Alec, Logan had remained by the lake wondering just what went wrong.  Because Alec was not supposed to throw his cell in the lake, he was not supposed to walk away as if nothing had happened.  He was supposed to pick up the phone and dial Asha's pager number.  He was supposed to wait until she called back and then he was supposed to tell her he was sorry.

Asha was then supposed to come back.

It may not have been fairy tale from then on out but it was not supposed to be like that.  Logan was sure of it.  

Maybe he'd given the two of them more credit then they deserved.  They were after all both rather stubborn, and could be incredibly blind at times.  But maybe he was wrong about them.  Maybe there really wasn't anything between them.

Logan doubted it.  He knew Asha and he knew that she thought otherwise.  If she was upset enough to take his bike...   

"Hey."  Max whispered as she slipped her arms around his neck from behind, kneeling on the grass that was quickly collecting dew.  Logan involuntarily shivered as her warm body pressed against his back blocking the slight breeze that chilled.  His arms crossed his chest and reached up to grab her upper arms, locking her in place as the last bits of gold turned a deep bluish black and the first stars appeared.

"Hey." He answered back.  She brought her head to rest beside his, rubbing her cheek on his in the process.

"So what's the verdict?" she asked.  He released her arms and she moved to his side, wrapping her arms around her knees and looking out over the lake, mirroring his position.

"He didn't call her.  He just brushed the whole thing off like it meant nothing.  It may have meant nothing to him but it meant something to her." He sighed.

"It meant something to him."  She reached over and grabbed one of his hands, lacing her fingers through his.  He smiled and let their intertwined hands drop and rest between them.  "We're not good at this.  Alec doesn't want to admit it.  But he will eventually."  She added.  

Logan turned and studied her profile as the moon started to come up, casting a gentle soft glow on her features.  She smiled catching his soft gaze from the corner of her eye.

"Have you?"  Logan asked suddenly, throwing her off guard.  She turned to him and questioned him with raised eyebrows.

"Have I what?"  He smiled.

"Admitted it yet."  She smiled brightly then turned away from him, slipping her hand from his.  Ignoring his question.  He was baiting her and she knew it.  She decided to play back.

"Max?" he questioned as the smile slipped from his face and worry started to replace it.  What if he'd been wrong about everything?  At the park... she'd pulled away.  What if she didn't really feel like he did?

Max continued to smile then suddenly turned to him and knocked him to the ground.

"You worry too much Logan."  She smiled hovering over him.  His smile grew serious as he reached up and cupped her face with one hand, letting the other brush away her hair.

"Hey." he tried again, his voice deep and soft.

"Hey back." she choked out.  

He wanted to tell her everything.  He wanted to close the remaining inches between her lips and his, he knew how soft and gentle, passionate and rough, incredibly amazing, their kiss would be.  And he wanted it more then anything else.  But he could see she needed him to hold back a bit longer.

There were questions burning in her eyes, uncertainty tainting her smile.  And an overwhelming knowledge that they could do nothing until she was free, littering the moment.

He released her face and brought both hands to her waist instead, guiding her to the ground next to him.  She flopped on her back and let him slide an arm behind her, pulling her close to his side.

They laid in silence, breathing patterns matched, hearts pounding.  She with hands firmly clasped on her stomach.  He with one arm around her and one hand fiddling in the grass at his side.

His note still burned a hole in her pocket.  She had yet to tell him about it.  About how much it meant.  About how strong it kept her.  

She snuggled closer to him.

"Bling should be here soon." he reflected.  She nodded.

"Logan there's something I need to tell you."  She started out hesitantly.  He turned his head to look at her, waiting patiently for her.

She continued to look at the sky, searching for the courage to continue.  The tact to make this moment less then the awkward one she knew would result.  The last thing she could take would be for him to brush it off.  Pretend that he was just overly emotional, or worse, say that she was never meant to see it.

"What is it?"  He asked concerned, as he brought his free hand to rest over her hands.  

She turned her head toward him and realized that his intense blue eyes were inches from her clouded brown ones.  That his nose almost brushed against hers.  And that his lips, his very nice mouth, a mouth she'd only been privileged to get lost in once or twice, rested so close that she could feel his breath.

He noted this too.  His heavy breathing manifesting the desire he felt for her.  She closed her eyes and drifted closer, he mimicked.

Their lips however never had the chance to meet.  

Bling chose that moment to drive up.  

Max blushed as she pulled away.  Realizing that not only had she been so lost in the moment she hadn't heard him coming, but that the other's had heard, and had been watching their exchange from the porch.

"Go Max."  Zane mocked from the porch earning himself a smack from Brin.  Zack looked away in disgust when she tried to make eye contact with him and Alec seemed to be lost entirely.  

They quickly jumped up and brushed themselves off.  Making sure to avoid eye contact with each other and the rest of the group.

"Someone else is coming."  Zack burst out, automatically dropping into a fighting stance.  Zane tensed beside him and with a few quick hand movements, Alec and Brin were deployed in the woods surrounding the driveway.  Max pulled Logan behind the Aztec and gestured for Bling to stay in the car.

Whoever it was would be surrounded.

AN_: Hey you guys are really lucky cause well frankly that last section was not supposed to be in there.  But it is.  And so you got a longer, more ship like chapter.  Till next time my semi-devoted readers.  You know I think it's time to give a shout out to Veggie5 cause dang it, it is rather nice to have a consistent reviewer, guess that means I should be giving a shout out to Kimmy as well, because not only does she provide me with reviews she also provides me with Alec and Asha fic.  I think next time she's getting a note all to herself all about how much I love her stuff and junk.  And to Kat: thank you my friend.  This story has been so close to extinction so many times.  But last night I seriously thought of calling quits.  Thanks for pretending to be interested._


	16. Crippling Blow

**Chapter 15**

**Crippling Blows**

AN: I know I'm a bad person for not updating sooner.  Sorry,   A LOT has happened recently.

"Stand down." Lydecker ordered exiting his vehicle.

"You better give us a damn good reason." Zack threw back.  Zane had produced a firearm.

"I can help you."  He started to advance with hands raised.

"We aren't interested in the view from your cage thanks."  Alec tossed in from behind him.

"I can give you freedom."

"Yeah see we aren't that interested in your kind of freedom."  Max added stepping out from behind the Aztec and joining her siblings, closing the ring around him.  Logan stood and Bling exited the car, both joined the circle.  

"Don't be stupid."

"How long till the rest of them get here?" Zack asked pressing a gun to Lydecker's throat.

"No one else is on their way.  Look you want your sister back.  I can help you." 

Zack and Lydecker stared at each other, like dogs waiting for the weaker to look away.  After about five minutes Zack took action and knocked Lydecker out with a quick blow to the temple.

"Zane, Alec, secure him."  The two transgenics moved in quickly and hauled him into the cabin.  

Military mode.

Zack and Brin followed Alec and Zane leaving Max, Bling, and Logan alone.

"Come on lets get this equipment set up."  Logan suggested on his way over to Bling's car.  

Bling opened the back and filled his arms and after getting instruction from Logan started toward the cabin.  Logan filled his arms and started to walk away when Max grabbed his sleeve and tugged him back a few steps and into her waiting lips.

After the initial shock wore off he answered her questions, breathing her in, tasting the cherry lip-gloss she favored.

"What was that for?" he asked when she pulled away grinning.

"I thought it was about time.  Didn't you?" she smiled coyly.

"I think you just waited for my arms to be full so I couldn't do this." he answered, letting his load slip back into the trunk.  Then grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to him, smashing their bodies together, letting his lips meet hers again in a flurried frenzy.

Bling cleared his throat behind them.

"I was just um...  She ah..."  Logan floundered his face now matching her lips.  Max wasn't faring any better.

"I don't think you can talk your way out of that one."  Bling stated then grabbed the load that Logan had dropped and turned back to the cabin.  

"Sorry."  Max amended as Bling entered the cabin once more.  Logan smiled and pulled her back to him, kissing her forehead.

"I'm not, come on lets get this stuff in there."  He released her and picked up more equipment, she smiled and followed suit.

"I think I'm in love with you, Mr. Cale." she put in as they walked in silence toward the cabin.  

"Is it alright for me to pat myself on the back here?" he grinned as he paused and she continued past him.  She turned to face him again, pausing.

"I'd think you'd wait until later for that." she added with a coy smile, then turned and covered the distance remaining, disappearing into the cabin before he could move.

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He sat in silence watching the others plan.

Watching as Zack eyed Lydecker suspiciously.  As Brin whispered to Zane about not trusting him.   Watched as Bling hooked up equipment, pretending not to listen.  

 As Logan secretly slipped his hand into Max's.

Watched their private exchange of smiles, the small squeeze of encouragement.  How she moved just a little bit closer when they thought no one was watching.

And through it all Alec couldn't help but feel the empty seat next to him.

Just because he'd made the right decision...  

Asha would have to understand that.  

That didn't mean the seat next to him was any less empty though.  And it certainly didn't drive the feelings she'd evoked with her lips away.  How she felt under his hands, the way her voice tasted to his ears.  The beautiful song of her scent.  The soft toughness she carried.

Memories that he wished he could burn out of his mind forever.

He never should have touched her, let her touch him.  He should have listened to the bright flashing danger signs.  Should never have called her.  

He should have taken those files from her the moment she walked in Logan's door, and his life.   He should have told her to get lost.  Forced her out the door.  Told her they'd call when they got Logan out.

He never should have watched TV with her, talked with her.  Told her about Rachel, about training, about his past.  Never should have listened when she told him about her family, about the S1W, about her past.  He never should have gone to Crash with her, danced with her, met her friends.

Because if he'd never done those things, the seat beside him would not be so empty. 

Tinga would be sitting with them.

 Not so vastly, echoingly empty.

And he wouldn't be either.

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Tinga stared at the ceiling of the lab.

Trying not to think about what would happen if she stayed here.  Trying not to remember the sick smile Renfro carried when talking to her.  Trying not to think at all.

She wasn't angry with him.  She'd decided long ago that Alec was not to blame; though she was sure that was who Zack would blame.  

Zack would have a hard time accepting the fact that it was her own fault.

Her words had sent Alec running.

She had made the decision to follow him.

Alec was confused, hurt.  

She hoped he didn't do anything stupid when Lydecker had collected her.  But he probably did.

Most of all though Tinga hoped that Zack and the others would hurry with their rescue mission.

One minute back at Manticore was one minute too long.  She didn't know how she'd face even one day.  She didn't allow herself to think past that.  The possibility that her stay would be any longer was something she didn't want to realize.

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"Renfro has been experimenting with nanotechnology.  It's the reason Mr. Cale here is up and on his feet.  But now that she has Tinga back, she is more interested in the results of her pregnancy.  She'll need some of Tinga's records, records only she and I know about.  Records I have.   She'll want to make contact.  She'll do anything to get her hands on them.  Even if it means allowing X-5's in the building with me."  Lydecker informed the group that had gathered around the small living area of the cabin.

"Keep going." Zack ordered.  

"The main databanks.  Destroying them would cripple the project.  It would put them years and millions of dollars behind.  A blow they couldn't possibly recover from.  It just so happens that Renfro's office is right next door to them."  Assuming of course Renfro had taken possession of his office.  He found it unbelievable that she wouldn't.  It was right up her ally.  She'd want him to see her behind his desk.   She loved that kind of  'justice.'

"A well trained X-5 could slip in, plant a virus, and be out before anyone was the wiser.  Chaos would erupt quickly after that and another group could extract 656 in the process."  He finished.

"Why would you want to ruin your life's work?"  Max asked.  

"She killed them.  All of the other X's.  They're dead.  She's a backstabbing power hungry bitch.  I'm doing this for revenge.  No other reason then that."  He spit out coldly.

The room was silent.

"All of them?"  Brin quietly squeaked out a few minutes later.

"Every last one."


	17. Preparations

Chapter....Mel is an awful person who has dragged this fic out way too long...

Preparations

AN: so for entertaining author's notes.... hmmm....  My sheets turn me blue.  I got them from target for Christmas and they are blue with stars on them and no matter how many times I wash them I still wake up in the morning with blue dye on me.  Ah I hear the ice cream man.  My sister is afraid of the ice cream man.  Which I think is hilarious seeing as how she's thirteen.  A friend of mine had a baby girl yesterday... hmmm... Yeah this note isn't as entertaining as some of the last notes.  Oh well guess you'll just have to be entertained by the chapter instead.

It took them three days to plan and obtain the equipment needed to break Tinga out.  

It was decided that Max, Zack, Alec, Brin, Zane, and Jhondie, who had shown up only a few hours after Lydecker, would accompany Lydecker on the return trip to Manticore.  Logan would stay in a van a mile down the road and monitor their progress, turn off the correct camera's and help with any computer problems that Jhondie and Zane might run into, the two of them having been designated to slip the cd with the virus into the databanks.

It had been decided that Alec and Max would retrieve Tinga, while Zack and Brin monitored Renfro and Lydecker, not trusting either one of them to behave on their own.  

Zack had argued about sending Alec after Tinga, he still refused to believe that the whole mess wasn't Alec's fault.  After three hours of convincing arguments from Max, Jhondie, and Brin however he'd finally relented.  That didn't mean he was happy with it though.  Not that anyone was too thrilled to be heading back to Manticore so soon.

The virus Logan had created worked fast, not giving anyone much time to copy any information before it trashed the system.  And in case it wasn't fast enough, Jhondie and Zane had been supplied with enough small explosives to take the whole building down.

Weapons had been obtained through various Eyes Only contacts and what was left of the S1W through contact with some of Asha's friends.  Alec, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone later, had gone to Crash hoping to bump into Asha and apologize yet still make it clear that they couldn't have any kind of relationship.  He'd only found Evee and Jason, both friends of Asha, they'd informed him that they hadn't heard from her in days and they assumed she'd skipped town.  Apparently she'd told them she'd been thinking about it.  

It stung a little, she'd never bothered to inform him she'd been thinking of leaving.  

So he'd changed the conversation and sure enough Evee and Jason were more then willing to lend him some of the S1W's dwindling stock of weaponry.  Alec tried not to wonder where Asha had disappeared to while loading the weapons in the back of the van he'd borrowed from another Eyes Only contact.  He tried not to worry about whether or not she was safe.  If she'd really skipped town or not...  If she still hated him...

None of that was important anyway.  

And so the only thing left to arrange was the meeting.

--------------------------------------------------------

Tinga had to admit that although she was back at Manticore locked up like a lab rat, things were better then the last stay she'd had.

There were no more drills, her cage was more accommodating then the bunks, and the food was much better.

She still had no plans of staying however.  She knew that there was a good reason for Lydecker to hate Renfro and she didn't want to stick around long enough to find out for herself what that reason was.  True Renfro had been nothing but kind to her since her return, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what would happen after her child arrived.

She wasn't blind; she'd noticed how quiet things were around here.  And she had yet to see anyone with a barcode.  Which wasn't normal.  

Before she'd left there had been rumors, leaked by some of Lydecker's human bodyguards.  Rumors about terminating the project and any evidence of its existence.  Rumors that claimed Renfro were trying to take over and use the facility for her own pet projects.  It had not been the first time such rumors had flown around the barracks.  

After the escape attempt in '09 the word termination was so common that they'd all fallen asleep at night fully expecting not to wake up the next morning.  They may have lived through that political battle but even so the rumors had still pierced the hearts of anyone bearing a barcode with terror.

Tinga remembered sitting awake long into the night those last few nights of her stay, worrying that maybe termination would come before she'd be sent out to collect Zack and possibly Alec.

The echoing stillness of the compound now however...  Her heart ached at the thought of all her companions that hadn't been able to get out.  She had no doubt that they'd never be able to now.

So although she was relatively comfortable now... she couldn't wait to get out.

-------------------------------------------------------------

A small group of transgenic and humans gathered around Lydecker in a small cabin not far from Seattle, waiting patiently for the phone that Lydecker held to connect.

Zack stood behind Lydecker, who was sitting on the couch, ready to grab the phone if Lydecker betrayed them.  Max stood to the left of Zack and in front of Logan, his hands on her shoulders.  Zane perched on the back of a chair to Lydecker's right.  Jhondie leaned against the side of the fireplace, arms crossed, Brin sat at her feet.  While Alec leaned casually against the far wall, glancing over at the group occasionally, staring out the window by his side more often.

The only sounds being the crackle of the fire in the fireplace and the soft patter of the constant rain.

Lydecker's voice, rough and unused broke the silence as the phone connected, "How are you enjoying my office?"

Renfro smiled and pushed herself back from her desk, crossing her legs and waving her foot in the air.

"Your office Deck?  Hmmm.  Actually it's my office now." She idly picked at some invisible lint on her perfectly pressed black suit, amused at this phone call.  "So old friend, what has you calling?  I don't recall running into anything of yours when I moved in."

Lydecker chuckled dryly, thinking of all the ways he'd like to mutilate the woman on the other end of the line.   

Zack shifted uncomfortably behind him and Lydecker took the hint.  He did not want to give that X5 any other reasons to want him dead.

"Actually, Old_ Friend," he choked out bitterly.  "I think I may have something that belongs to you.  Some records that I seem to have grabbed by mistake when I was cleaning out my desk..."_

Renfro dropped her foot and quickly scooted forward in her chair.  Her hand flying to the top left drawer and ripping it open.  Fingers furiously flying over the top, searching for the latch that would open the compartment that held the 368 files for all the X5 series.

The compartment was empty just as she feared.

Coming to her feet she placed both hands on the desk and leaned into it, cradling the phone with her shoulder.  Closing her eyes and bracing herself.

"What do you want?"  She demanded, her voice a harsh whisper.

"I want to be included in the project.  I want to know what is going on.  You have the power to reinstate me."

She laughed and nearly dropped the phone.

"You're kidding."

"No I'm quite serious."

"Fine Deck, whatever you want.   Drop on in and I'll see what I can do.  Just don't forget those files."  She smiled sweetly, all the while planning his execution.

And so a collective sigh was let out when the arrangements were made.  

Max grinned and Jhondie slapped Lydecker on the back.  

Renfro would have no idea what hit her.  The compound, now void of any genetically engineered masterpieces, relying on only a skeleton crew of soldiers, scientists, doctors and a computer system that Logan had been able to hack into before...  well it was no match for a computer genius, a military strategist, and six genetically engineered super soldiers.

At least... it shouldn't have been.


	18. Anyway, it was just a bird...

Chapter Poop Head

AN: I have a job interview for a job at Target for the Jewelry counter, which should be fun. I am desperate for a job and that seems like a pretty decent one so I'm more then willing to get that one.  Anyway enough of my job dilemma.  So this story... It's definitely wrapping itself up folks.  Can we say... finally.  I knew you could.  But seriously. I'm thinking three or four more chapters and then we can finally bring closure to this story and I can focus on Asha and Alec and finishing that spin-off.   So those are my plans. They aren't set in stone but hopefully things will work out nicely anyway.  So for this chapter... a few lines have been politely borrowed from AJBAC.  And before you all complain that it's just a AJBAC rip-off... don't...because it isn't going to be...I just liked those lines and some of the conversation was not worth rewriting when it was put so elegantly before... as for the Raven... well... I'm sorry but I couldn't resist... Now for the chapter....

**Anyway, it was just a bird......**

The group of transgenics emptied out of Logan's cabin, each armed, the virus safely tucked away in Zane's pocket.  Radios all set on the same frequency.   

This was war.  And this time they would be on the offensive.  They only knew that they couldn't afford to fail.  

Zack lead the way out the door and down the steps followed closely by Brin.  Zane trailed Brin studying a piece of paper that held the correct sequencing codes one last time, to ensure success.  Max and Jhondie were busy trying to forget about what they were marching into and instead talked about Jhondie's life in San Francisco.  Lydecker and Logan came next and Alec trailed the rear.

The group stopped in front of the two vans' they would be taking, one equipped with all kinds of computer gear and gadgets, the other a simple transport vehicle.  The wind blasted them, biting through their camouflage.  The sun hidden behind another gray overcast, somber sky.  Each footstep squished in the muddy mess surrounding the vans, mud caking the bottoms of shoes, rain drizzling lightly around them.  

Zane pocketed the paper as he halted and the friendly chatter of Max and Jhondie ceased as the reality set in.  Final instructions would be given then each to their vehicle.  Each member of the tiny group knew that this very well may be the last time they'd see freedom, each other, or even the friendly breath of life the soggy mud, and dreary drizzle gave them.

"Any final questions?" Zack finally asked breaking the silence of the cool morning air.   

A bird, black as midnight, landed on the roof of their transport.  It's caw chilling them into silence as the icy sound pounded through their veins.  Rang in their ears and stuck in their throats.  

Max shivered.  Jhondie looked away.  Zane swallowed dryly.  Zack set his chin firmly in defiance.  Brin stared as if she could burn a hole through its wings.  Alec acknowledged it's presence with quick shake of his head and Lydecker and Logan looked on in silence as the magnificent bird cawed twice more then lifted its wings and flew into the sky.

It was Zack who eventually shot at it... missing, as it flew to freedom.

Logan noted the solemn looks and swallowed words, and pondered the meaning, the significance of the creature.

Death, she'd seen it before.  That bird brought nothing but death.  It was hard to say who it was meant for.  There were many of them standing here in the mud and rain with the wind whipping through their hair, gripping with it's icy fingers at their clothes.  Yet the wind had not accomplished what that one screech of a bird could.  It numbed her far deeper then any breeze ever would.  

Max shivered back the memory of that day in the woods, training...  the echo of the gunshot, the thud of her brother...   She shivered back the memory of that night outside the Cale estate... so long ago yet only yesterday.   The bright red spurt of blood across her sister's chest.   Falling... first there was the bird- the raven- and then they all fell.  Bullet ridden bodies, brothers and sisters cut open on an autopsy table.  

No, that bird brought nothing but death.

With nothing said, Zack merely nodded and the group started to herd toward the van.  

Lydecker turned toward Logan, noting that Max hung back as Jhondie and the others boarded the van.

"Don't take long with her.  We need to get on the road."  He offered his fatherly advice.  Logan wanted nothing more then to punch him in the face for what he'd done.  Even though he'd tried to make amends, the past few days held more then enough subtle glances, gestures, and comments clearly stating Lydecker's opinion on the cyber journalist and he'd had about enough of it.

"Look..." Logan started, intending on giving the Colonel some well-deserved criticism, but Lydecker cut him off.

"It's alright son.  I understand." And with that said he was gone.

Max smiled and slipped up to Logan as the last of the X-5's boarded the van and Lydecker started toward them, his footsteps squishing in the mud. 

 Squish... Squish... Squish....

She imagined momentarily that his pattern matched her beating heart.  That it was calm, controlled.  That it wasn't trying to beat it's way out of her chest with the fear that she'd never see him again.  Even as Logan smiled warmly and placed his hands on her waist, looked her deep in the eyes.... even then that caw echoed through her blood and she could taste the heavy blanket of death descending.  

Squish...Squish... Squish...

PoundPoundPoundPound...

"So I'll see you when this is over..." he smiled, poundpoundpound...

"Yeah of course." she shrugged it off, that feeling of darkness that clutched at her soul.  " One way or another, the world's going to be different for both of us after this. " 

He nodded and brushed his hand lightly across her cheek.

"I'd kiss you, but I have to keep my head in the game."

"Everything is going to be alright you know." he tried to coax a smile out of her.

"Yeah, anyway, it was just a bird..." and with that she jogged off to the van and hopped in without a backwards glance leaving Logan to ponder her words.

Squish...Squish...Squish....Click....Squeak...Creak...Slam....

And then the engine of Logan's van came to life as he sat behind the wheel and watched the van that carried his future pull out.  He could only hope that when they escaped and made their way back to his van she would be with them.

He wouldn't believe in her superstitions, but still her concern seemed to etch itself onto his heart and echo in his ears.  And he couldn't help but have that sinking sensation that someone wasn't coming back with them.  He wasn't worried so much for her, but for her siblings, for Tinga and her unborn child...  the fear that they would be too late...  That fear was too real, to tangible and evident for him to easily dismiss.  He could feel it prick his skin, taste it as the bitter lump of it choked his throat, hear it's taunting voice and smell it's foul odor. 

 It was easy to dismiss before... when the squish of the mud, the splash of rain could cover it all.  But now it lay bare and ugly in the mud, exposed for what it was.  And as he started to pull out and his heart continued to pound in his chest, he wondered just who he should believe.

If that voice in his mind, the one that kept telling him to ignore the sickening sensation.  The one that told him it was all superstition.  Fake, artificial, and not worth a second glance.  If maybe that was the voice he should listen too.

But then the raven's caw...  the fear that choked his heart with its icy fingers...

They screamed louder then any logic.

AN: Well I couldn't bring myself to connect this to the next chapter so it's a little short but it's better then nothing.


	19. Quoth the Raven

Chapter...haha wasn't that last one short

AN: ok skip the note and read the chapter... no seriously no note this time.

**Quoth the Raven**

 The gravel crunched beneath the wheels of the van that Logan drove as it slowed to a halt deep in the woods outside of Manticore.  It all felt too melodramatic to him... the adrenaline pumping through his veins, his super soldier sweetheart returning home to save her sister.  Like a fairy story twisted to fit his messed up world.

Shaking off the feelings, Logan slid to the back of the van and pulled up the security codes Lydecker had given him.  It would save him time hacking into the system if the codes hadn't been changed yet, but somehow he doubted Renfro would have left them once she got rid of Lydecker.

He didn't know the woman all that well but he would have changed them.   Maybe she really was too power hungry to think about simple things like that, he doubted it but anything was possible.

There was something wrong with the whole situation; nothing could really be as simple as they'd thought it would be.  This was a military complex, and sure the Pulse did some damage and set everyone back, but...  it couldn't really be that easy...  Could it?

As another firewall was thrown in his face he knew that he was right.

The codes were useless.  

Well he'd gotten into the system before he'd just have to try again.  The others were waiting for his signal to continue.

------------------------------------------------------------

"After this I think I'm going to treat myself to a grapefruit."  Jhondie blurted out as the group waited in the van a few miles down the road from Manticore.

Lydecker bit back a smile from his seat in the front next to Zack.  He felt oddly proud at Jhondie's exclamation.  

"What about you Zane?" Jhondie turned to her brother who was fiddling with his gun.

"I was thinking about starting my own auto shop.  But I don't know...  a grapefruit sounds nice." he smiled and Jhondie smacked him in the back of the head.

"Seriously though.  I mean we all know what Max and Logan are going to be doing and now we know what doofball Zane is planning.  I guess I never thought that far ahead."  She admitted.

"Hey who says Logan and I are going to be doing anything?" Max asked sternly.  

Even Lydecker turned to stare at that comment.

"Max.  Come on.  Do you think we're dumb?" Brin asked.

"Oh shut up."  Max rolled her eyes.  "Honestly, you guys need to grow up."  She spit out, earning a few chuckles.

"Oh it's ok baby sister, we think it's cute."  Jhondie wrapped her arm around her sister.  "Don't we guys?" 

"Oh yeah real cute in a sickening way." Alec mumbled.  He'd been nothing but an ass lately and everyone had picked up on it.  If smartass Alec wasn't bad enough, depressed and mopey Alec was ten times worse.

"You know it's your own fault she left so why don't you stick it up and shut up."  Zack ordered sternly from the front.  "I told you not to get involved and you chose to ignore me.  So stop your whiney ass routine and get over it."

"I always wanted to teach." Brin broke in.  Characteristically trying to stop the upcoming fight from occurring.  Zack and Alec had never gotten along very well and she was used to stepping in and stopping confrontation.

Suddenly Zack gestured for silence with the flick of his wrist.

"I'm in." Logan's voice came over their radios.

The soldiers quickly fell back into line as Zack pulled the van back out onto the road and headed toward Manticore.****

**------------------------------------------------------------**

Tinga sat on the edge of her bunk with her knees drawn up to her chest, arms locked around her knees.  Her cage, as she lovingly referred to it, was spotless.  Cleaning was a great time killer and she'd scrubbed the floor and the walls, she'd even considered trying to do the ceiling somehow, but decided that even if it killed time it was boring as hell and she'd rather sit on her bunk bored stiff then clean a ceiling.

After she'd cleaned she'd done a few sets of crunches, something around 500, but then that too became dull.  As did counting all the chips in the paint, and pacing, and imagining what her life would be like once she got out.

So currently rocking back and forth, chewing on the inside of her bottom lip occupied her time.

Of course when she'd first gotten back and found that she had no more drills or lessons she'd been grateful.  But another three hours and she'd be climbing the walls and begging for a good run at the obstacle course, or another dip in the pool to see how long she could hold her breath.

She pondered briefly if bored had ever killed anyone.  She knew that isolation often drove norms past their mental breaking point.  And genetically enhanced or not she wondered if maybe, after being outside for so long, if this continued solitude might indeed make her as crazy as some of the nomilies that Lydecker had hidden in the basement.

Last winter a few of those nomalies had gotten out.  That was when the rumors first started flying about termination.  It seemed that they were starting with the nomalies and apparently there were a few who knew how to get out.  Of course the basement was off limits to anyone with a barcode past the X-5 series, but Tinga wondered if, had they broken that one little rule, her life and her companions lives could have changed a lot sooner.

She'd never really paused to think about what happened to those nomalies that had gotten out.  Most likely they'd ended up dead on the street somewhere.  Unable to care for themselves and confused in a world they knew nothing about, it wouldn't take long for someone to find them and end their lives for them.

Such pleasant thoughts she was having.  Must have been due to the fact that she'd been sitting in this freaking cell for four and a half days!

-------------------------------------------------------

Things went better then perfect, the guards let them in, led them to Renfro and no one protested having four of the X's stand outside the office.  Which automatically set Zack on guard.  

Renfro was giving Deck way too much and he couldn't for one minute believe that the files Deck carried in a folder under his arm, could mean that much to her.  He found himself hoping for some kind of hitch. 

Anything that would throw a kink into their plans, but when even Logan radioed in to say they were all clear to start their plan...  

No it was too easy.  Anti climactic even. 

After all the years they'd suffered behind these same walls...  Something was wrong.  Seriously wrong.  And he almost considered calling the whole thing off.  But as Zane and Jhondie slipped into the next room to plant the virus, he knew he couldn't risk not going through with it.  Especially over some dumb feeling, he was just being cautious, overly so, nothing was going to happen.

Chaos descended and lights and sirens began flashing.

The virus was working.

But Renfro didn't look worried.  In fact she was smiling.

---------------------------------------------------------

As the sirens started to go off and Zane and Jhondie slipped back out into the hall to join them, Max signaled to Alec.

"They're keeping her just down the hall.  Room 215." Logan's voice rang in her ear.  

Soldiers filled the halls, all running toward the main computer terminals.  Max smirked, they should have been running to lock down the facility...but they weren't.  Either Renfro had the dumbest set of security, or she had no fear of them escaping.  Max voted for the first option, the second wasn't all that appealing.

"Code?"  Alec questioned when they reached the door.

A string of numbers came over the radio and the door opened easily.

"It's about time guys.  I was running out of things to do."  Tinga smiled and grabbed Alec in a hug.  "Let's get out of here huh."

----------------------------------------------------

"You know Deck, it's funny really, the fact that you thought I'd just sit back and wait for an attack on my building."  She pulled a disk out from under her desk.

"Backup.  Honestly I can't believe you thought I was so dumb.  It hurts Deck." She mocked.

So that was it then.  Zack glared at the woman as he formed a plan for the best way to get the disk from her.

And then the plan went to hell.

Brin jumped into action, attacking Renfro and wrestling the disk from her hand.  But as soon as she pulled back from the woman, Brin crumpled to the ground, the echo of a gunshot replacing any words she could have uttered.  

Reaching down to the body at her feet, Renfro pushed the heap over with her recently fired gun, as if to touch the girl would contaminate her, then pried the disk from the lifeless hand.

"You bitch!" Zack let out coldly as he aimed toward the woman.  But Lydecker knocked the gun out of his hand and his bullet hit the wall instead.  The gun now securely in Lydecker's hand, Zack turned on his nemesis.

"I knew we couldn't trust you!" he exclaimed.  Lydecker only turned his aim away from the X-5 and toward the woman gloating on the opposite side of the room.

And then Renfro crumpled to the ground.

---------------------------------------------------

Max, Tinga, and Alec raced back toward the group as the first gunshot rang out.  

Reaching the door to the office they found Jhondie and Zane struggling to get the door to open.

"It's locked and the fucking code has been changed!" Jhondie explained to the group.

"Logan! We need that code!" Max demanded into her radio.

"I'm working on it but the system has changed, it just kicked me out and I'm trying to get back in." 

"Shit...Move out of the way you two." Max ordered and Jhondie and Zane quickly moved aside as Max started blasting the door with bullets.  They didn't have time for this.

Alec was the first to notice the absence of backup.

"Guys... where are all Renfro's goons?"

Logan answered his question.

"Get out of there now!  Renfro's activated a failsafe.  As we speak the whole north side of the building is burning!  You've got thirty seconds until your section is nothing but flames and smoke as well!"

The groups froze.  It was Max who broke the stupor of silence.

"You heard him!  Get out!"  

"Zack and Brin?" Jhondie demanded.

"I've got it! Now go!  That's an order!"  Jhondie nodded and snapped into action followed quickly by Zane.  When Alec hesitated Tinga grabbed his arm and pulled him with her as the first flames ignited down the hallway.

-----------------------------------------------

"Let's get out of here." Lydecker threw out tossing the gun back to Zack, who stood staring at him.

The door flew open and Zack automatically pointed his gun toward the noise ready to fire, only to find Max with her gun ready as well.

"The building is burning.  I suggest you move your ass if you don't want it to be barbecued!" She shot out quickly before turning to leave with Zack and Lydecker tailing her.

Logan wasn't lying, the group fought their way through a now flaming hallway, Zack in the lead, Max pulling a coughing and sputter Lydecker, as the smoke choked out any available oxygen.  The heat almost unbearable.  Flames darting across the ceiling, reaching their long finger's of fire toward the soldiers struggling to make sense of the orange and black world they found themselves in.

One thought running through every ones mind.

They weren't going to make it.

---------------------------------------------

Logan waited impatiently.

Soon, they'd reach him, soon.  He couldn't afford to move the van or he'd miss them.  But still all he wanted to do was drive down there and make sure everyone was all right.  This waiting was driving him nuts.

"Max!  Max!" he tried again only to receive no answer.  

"Zack?"

"Brin?"

Nothing.

They were the only three that hadn't reported themselves clear besides Lydecker, who he really couldn't care about.  

Flinging open the van door he hopped out and started to pace back and forth in front of the vehicle, not quite able to shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

The first person to reach the van was Jhondie, only minutes after he'd left the van, and only seconds behind her was Zane, tailed by Tinga and Alec.  

"Where's Max?" He demanded of the group.

Their solemn expressions did nothing to alleviate his fears.  And Alec's words all but diminished any hope he had left.

"She stayed behind."

------------------------------------------

A large piece of the ceiling of the burning building that was once their home, fell behind the three soldiers trying to make their way out.  Warning them that this was it.  

Smoke rushed past them and out the hole in the roof.  Smoke and flame.  Max ducked as another finger almost caught her in the forehead.

Another chunk fell, this time narrowly missing her head. Lydecker however wasn't so lucky.  He found himself pinned under a burning board, too heavy to move by himself.

"Zack!"  Max called out as she turned to find Lydecker's predicament.

"Get out of here now!" Lydecker called out, satisfied with his fate.  

"Come on Max.  There's nothing we can do about it."  Zack urged her on grabbing her hand.  She dug her feet into the floor.

"No Zack! We aren't leaving him." She bit out and twisted free from her brother's grasp.  "We can't!"

"Why do you have to be so difficult!" He demanded, knowing that she was right but not happy with the idea.

The two rushed over to the pile of burning debris and fought to lift the boards and planks that held the man they'd dreaded all their lives, the man that had enslaved them, the man who bought them their freedom.

Max could smell her own skin burning as she pushed aside the last bit of debris and then swatted the flames that danced around her wrists, out.  Zack lifted Lydecker and tossed him over his shoulder like a rag doll, limp and almost weightless.  Then the two started down the hall again.  Burned and winded.

The exit just ahead, they picked up their pace, only to be stopped when the ceiling above them fell.  Knocking them both into blissful unconsciousness.

 AN: actually I do have one request of all you readers out there.  I am trying desperately to get some feedback on an original of mine.  If you could find it in your heart to do me a big favor and check out my fic entitled, Jaidel I would be forever grateful.  I figure if you enjoy my writing it's at least worth a shot right?  Honestly I think you'll enjoy it.  Thanks again for stopping by.  


	20. Love Among The Ruins

Chapter who knows anymore

  


Love Among The Ruins

  


AN: ok so as we know this fic has followed established plot lines, varied off of those plot lines, twisted them, and followed word for word certain scripted dialogue. When naming this chapter the perfect name seemed to pop out right away. And maybe it wasn't so coincidental that it happened to be the title of an episode. In fact it's likely my subconscious was tossing it around long before I realized it. But it turns out things couldn't have worked out better. 

  


  


  


  


The flames died slowly, the glowing embers reflecting in Logan Cale's glasses. Sharp pellets of rain, cut through the darkening sky, sizzling in the ashes of the building that had finally stolen the one thing Max would never give up on.

  


Freedom.

  


Hugging his arms close, not feeling the icy drops that soaked through his clothing, not caring one way or another where they landed. 

  


Her siblings scrambled among the ruins, like ants, burrowing through rubble. Pushing away slabs of concrete. 

  


They'd been at it for a good six hours. The authorities had come, given up on the building, letting it burn to the ground. Then they'd left when the sky broke loose. Evidence being washed away in the rain. 

  


Records claimed it was abandoned, hadn't been used in years. No one was interested in sticking around in the downpour to find out why the building had burned. And no one expected them too.

  


The group of transgenics had merged on the pile when the last flashing light disappeared in the distance. Logan had taken his time, not wanting to find the proof he dreaded. Not wanting to believe it was all real.

  


It never existed...

  


Manticore.

  


Max.

  


Genetically enhanced soldiers.

  


They'd earned their freedom. And no one would know of the struggle. 

  


There would be no one questioning the disappearance of a girl who never even existed. 

  


No one but him.

  


He would probably question it for the rest of his life.

  


---

  


Alec dug through the rubble, believing the effort useless. 

  


He'd killed three siblings. 

  


Brin, Max, Zack.... if he hadn't been so foolish. If he'd just stayed put. 

  


Tinga had given him the "it's not your fault" speech. But he knew better. He knew what Zack would say. Zack would point that finger at him. Zack would be right.

  


Every muscle protested, smoke burned his eyes, ash coated his clothing-sticking to him like a second skin. The stinging pellets falling from the sky cleaned tracks on his cheeks and hands as he pushed more rubble away. 

  


Looking around he noticed his siblings all wore the same ash. Their freedom staining them. 

  


Five pairs of eyes, haunted and tired, all trained on the burnt pile, the price of freedom. 

  


All because on pair of blue eyes had distracted him.

  


One person who'd pretended to understand him.

  


One.

  


The darkness and rage building in him, causing his stomach to churn. 

  


This time the track on his face wasn't from rain. 

  


Putting all the confusion that churned in his stomach to use, he violently pushed a slab of concrete over, the force causing it to crumble.

  


Everything in him wanted to scream. But his teeth clenched, locked it all in.

  


Hands clenched at his side. A stray tear washed another track on his face.

  


"This is fucking useless!" He spit out venomously.

  


Tinga's hand rested on his shoulder. Her eyes meeting his. She didn't blame him. She understood.

  


It was the message he needed to calm the storm and together they continued to clear away the rubble.

  


---

  


Cold. Cold and wet and sore.

  


And trapped.

  


Max Guevara had never felt more encaged in her life. Ironically it was her freedom that trapped her.

  


Hadn't it always been so.

  


Light shined through cracks in the pile of rubble that rested on her back, off to the side of her face she could see out a few of those cracks, enough to know that she was still alive, that it was raining, that there were people out there, her siblings. They were looking for her.

  


All she had to do was call out. They would hear her. Remove the rubble and free her again.

  


It had always been... when Manticore is gone... when we are free...

  


Well here she was... free.

  


But nothing was different.

  


So Manticore was gone...hadn't she managed to escape their grasp before. And even though it was gone, it still pinned her to the ground. Haunted her mind. Littered her blood even.

  


It occurred to her then that maybe freedom was only a state of mind. An idea that someone with nothing better to do came up with. 

  


The rubble that weighed her down seemed to lighten as did the worries. The barriers she'd built with her own fear seemed to weaken as well.

  


She had always been free. They all had. Manticore had never trapped them.

  


Their fear had. 

  


They had built their own cages.

  


Time and time again they could have escaped their physical bonds. They had in the past, many times.

  


The truth was they could never outrun the shadow of Manticore. But it never had to rule their lives. 

  


Freedom had always been there. And always would be.

  


They just had to reach out and take it. 

  


It couldn't be handed out. It wanted to be claimed. And it wasn't all encompassing. 

  


The world was not suddenly any brighter. And worries that plagued her before continued to.

  


She pushed at the rubble surrounding her with a smile.

  


Freedom was only what you made it. And she was willing to make it everything.

  


---

  


"Look!" Jhondie cried out as a pile of rubble to her right moved. The group swarmed on the pile, throwing debris to the side and uncovering a hand, then a head.

  


"Max!" Zane called out. Logan rushed to the pile, pushing Zane out of the way and grabbing Max's hand as they freed her.

  


"Max....Max...Max..." He mumbled pulling her to him as they freed the rest of her. She grimaced then settled in his arms with a smile.

  


"Hey you." she whispered, wiping at his cheek to remove the ash and what appeared to be a few tears but could have just as easily been rain.

  


"Hey." he swallowed. His face a portrait, it's priceless glory only increased by the honesty and deepness his eyes betrayed, the curve of his lips only a testament to the fear that had stilled his heart.

  


"I heard you." she smiled as his brows furrowed in confusion.

  


"There's someone else down there!" Their attention turned to the others as they continued to unburry the body of Lydecker and then an unconscious Zack.


	21. Some Things Can't Be Denied

Chapter End...

  


Some things can't be denied

  


Here is where I stop and give thanks to everyone out there who has enjoyed this trilogy and let their words be heard. I am finally wrapping it up. Alec and Asha's story will be continued elsewhere but this will be the conclusion of Max and Logan's story. They will finally get their happy ending. This trilogy has spanned many months and is just a few months shy of a year. Looking back at that year it's amazing I stuck with it. Amazing that I'm still here to write it. And for those of you who stuck with it I can only hope it was an enjoyable experience. I honestly am gonna miss it now that it's finished. 

  


Thank You Again. 

  


Enjoy....

  


  


"I didn't think you'd be by so soon." Logan threw over his shoulder as he pulled a bottle of wine from the rack and grabbed the two glasses on the counter. 

  


"You're getting to good at that." she complained as he spun around in time to catch her look of annoyance. Handing her a glass he set his back down on the counter in order to open the wine.

  


"Well I can't let you sneak up on me all the time." he smiled and filled her glass. "Dinner will be done in twenty minutes or so. How bout a game of chess?"

  


Max smiled and pulled him after her to the board that was already set up. She would kick his ass then have a nice dinner, then if things went as planned... She gulped down her wine, her throat, dry and constricting. 

  


"So has Zack left town yet?" Logan asked as they sat, trying to start a conversation.

  


"Yeah. It's just you and me." She smiled. 

  


After a good ten minutes, one move by Max and eight minutes of Logan figuring out his second move, as her hand tightened around it in her pocket, Max quietly began to recite the crumpled piece of paper she always carried, her voice barely above a whisper.

  


"You left today. I don't know when or if I'll ever see you again. I feel like such a fool. When you left I realized something. There were a million things I should have said to you. A million reasons to say them..." Logan paused and looked up at her as her voice grew in volume and the words she spoke began to sink in.

  


"I should have told you that you are the best friend anyone could ever dream to have. I should have told you that your lips taste like cherries and that your hair smells like honey. I should have told you that and so much more..." His face paled and he looked as if he'd run from the room but Max quickly deposited herself next to him on the couch, grabbing his hands to prevent him from leaving.

  


"I'm not good enough for you, and it looks as though I will always be just that much short of what you need. You'd tell me that I was being a blockheaded ass right now. You'd threaten to knock some sense into me. What I would give for that to happen..." he swallowed down the embarrassment of being caught. She smiled and leaned in closer to him, her forehead an inch from his.

  


" I know that the chair doesn't matter to you, but still I can't get over it. Maybe I never will. If I do I won't hesitate to tell you those million things..." she paused. "Logan?" smiling she purred in his ear. "There is no chair. And you're more then good enough for me."

  


She pulled back to catch his eyes.

  


"I love you Max. I probably always will. I've tried so hard to deny it. So you will probably never hear me say those words again. I've told you twice before. Once while you were sleeping in my arms and then before I was shot. I think them every time you walk in the room. I want to tell you so badly..." He cupped her face.

  


"Logan... I heard you." She smiled and he pulled her close, their foreheads resting against each other as spoke in a whisper.

  


"Want to know something though, ever since you left it, my bed just seems way too big for one person. My arms just seem empty without you in them..." He paused and kissed her nose.

  


"Logan..." her voice cracked on the lump rising in her throat.

  


"Max..." He smiled and pulled her into his lap. "I love you. I love you Max and only you. In a million and one ways, for a million and one reasons. You are the one person I have never been able to shake. The one person I want to be with every waking moment. I love you." he whispered as his lips brushed her forehead.

  


"That's good to know." She let out the breath she'd been holding and pulled away slightly, Logan's confusion written clearly on his face. "I wouldn't want to give everything I have to a man who didn't love me as much as I love him." She smiled and pulled his lips to hers for an earth-shattering minute. 

  


"It defies all logic and every rule I've ever made for myself. But I love you Logan Cale."

  


"Are you sure? You're free now Max. You could have anyone. Anything you want could be yours." he questioned drawing his thumbs over her cheekbones.

  


"I carry your heart with me. I carry it in my heart. I am never without it...anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling. I fear no fate. For you are my fate, my sweet. I want no world. For beautiful you are my world, my true. And it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you. Here is the deepest secret nobody knows. Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide. And this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart. I carry your heart. I carry it in my heart."* Max answered.

  


The two sat wrapped in each other's arms long passed the ding of the timer that signified dinner was ready. Passed the hours of the night and into the morning that for some reason only known to nature, decided to be bright and sunny.

  


The End

  


*e.e. cummings' I carry your heart

  


  


  


  


  


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